The award-winning Chicago Mosaic School opened in 2005 with a mission to facilitate its students’ discovery of a new artistic penchant, and to support the local community’s creative spirit through an ancient medium.

Teeny tiny tiles are the tools of choice at the Chicago Mosaic School, where this time-tested visual language thrives via the skilled contemporary artists and designers who flock from all over the world to teach their craft on-site.

Founded by former ceramicist and trained mosaic artist Karen Ami, the Chicago Mosaic School is North America’s premier institution for the mosaic arts. What began with an eight-person gathering in Ami’s studio evolved into a comprehensive program of over 150 classes and workshops, including the first-ever certification program in mosaic art. Helmed by over 30 mosaic masters, classes at the Chicago Mosaic School cater to thousands—from curious hobbyists to MFA graduates.  

Comprising classrooms, studio spaces, and a library, the Chicago Mosaic School aims to keep this decorative art alive not only through the transmission of technique, but through partnerships with local businesses, teacher training and educational programs, and mind-bending mosaic commissions for commercial and public sites.