The Hamline Midway store and studio Mosiac on a Stick has moved from Snelling Avenue to a new location at 1564 Lafond Avenue. This neighborhood establishment now occupies the old Hamline Park building, with a full floor of supplies and studio space upstairs, and classroom space downstairs. This historic building was slated for demolition due to underuse, but now homes the warm and welcoming shop, with bright colors on everywall and a very friendly staff. The store offers a wide variety of mosaic and sculpture materials, as well as access to the studio space for a small fee. For those interested in learning new skills, Mosaic on a Stick offers classes in handmade glass, mosaic, sculpture, and more, open to any skill level.
Materials for creating a Mosaic on a Stick
Have you noticed the artistically improved planters along Snelling Avenue in the Midway neighborhood? Meet the woman behind the work:
Lori Greene is the owner of Mosaic on a Stick, as well as a Hamline Midway resident. She was inspired to begin working on Mosaic in graduate school in Baltimore, where she was exposed to the work of other artists using found objects to build sculptures. Soon, she was dumpster diving materials and building mosaics herself. After moving back to St. Paul, Lori opened Mosaic on a Stick to share her love of mosaics with a wider community. The store now offers classes with a sliding fee, in an effort to allow access to any student interested in pursuing their art.
The planter project (see top photo) arose out of a partnership with the Hamline Midway Coalition. Over the course of 4 years, neighborhood residents and Hamline University students came to the studio to work on portions of the planters. Now, Lori frequently sees residents that remember exactly which piece they helped build, and where it’s located. The project connected over 400 people to the art of the neighborhood!
There is plenty more work to come – with the new location next to the park, Lori is hopeful there can be collaborations between the park programming and her studio space. Check out the Grand Opening of the new location on June 15th, and make your own Mosaic on a Stick!
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