With support from the California Arts Council Piece by Piece will fund its general operating and staffing costs that allow us to reach 3,000 residents of Skid Row and South Los Angeles who have experienced homelessness or extreme economic instability. Through free mosaic workshops, led by professional staff and visiting artists, Piece by Piece offers a safe-harbor learning environment that fosters improved self-confidence and a greater sense of well-being and community. Participants gain mosaic and interpersonal-communication skills as they progress through a series of workshops that offer opportunities to earn income: selling art through our Social Enterprise, fulfilling contracts for corporate gifts/awards, and/or working on small and large-scale murals commissioned across greater Los Angeles. Many participants become ‘Certified Mosaic Artists’ and establish their own mosaic practices while others become teaching assistants at Piece by Piece.
Programs include:
– Artisan Certification Program: Progressive skill-building course guiding participants through four certification levels in mosaic.
– Directed Studies: Multi-week sessions focusing on advanced techniques led by Piece by Piece instructors and professional Visiting Artists.
– Open Studio: Open session for active participants to create personal projects, refine skills, and receive support from instructors.
– Community Outreach: Group projects with community members in an inviting, low-commitment setting.
– Social Enterprise: Artisans complete orders and commissioned projects, receiving an hourly wage for their work.
– Studio Prep Associates Program: The organization employs individuals who have experienced homelessness to provide program support sorting, preparing, and managing donated mosaic materials.

