Why?
Why should you participate in a Mosaic the City project?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain


A better question is "why not"?


Mosaic the City initiatives are mosaics within mosaics. Each group participating in a Mosaic the City project becomes part of the multi-project, multi-year initiative that unites neighbourhoods, municipalities, regions and countries. The layers of the global mosaic are:


* The Social and Cultural Mosaic of People: the people of all ages, from all walks of life who come together to learn, share and create.


*Individual Mosaic Art Pieces: each mosaic art piece is unique and represents what people think and feel of the place where the mosaic is created and installed. (There may be one or several mosaics created in any one place.)


* The Neighbourhood Mosaic of Projects: mosaic pieces created in various parts of a neighbourhood (schools, community centres, shopping areas, parks, etc.) are joined together by a map to encourage people to explore their neighbourhood and meet their neighbours.


* The City-wide Mosaic of Neighbourhood Projects: neighbourhood mosaics projects are joined together by a map to encourage people to explore and learn about the communities that make their city a whole.


* The Regional, National and World Mosaic of City Programs: Mosaic the City programs throughout the world will be linked through a web site that will help and encourage us to learn about the people, societies and cultures that comprise the world mosaic.


Shylene saw this as a way to take down the walls, open communications and work toward social, community change. Each community will be given the opportunity to join this thread to the next neighborhood or community through the Mosaic the City Mapping Project. Each community sharing with the next and so on and so on.

Once a few projects have been completed and a path has been formed, this path will be mapped and each project will be connected to the next. Eventually, after many years of projects the map will reach all of particular city's communities-- linking them all together--Community Unity. .

Within each project we hope to give participants the opportunity to learn and share with one another. We will achieve this by creating a working environment that encourages communication between elders and youth, cultures and life styles, ages and sex. While all the time creating art that will become part of each person's history and the history of a neighborhood, a community, a town.

Project participants will design and build the entire project from beginning to end. Some of the projects will be inviting people to bring their own recycled treasures to add to the mosaics, and encourage a "use what you have" approach. While others will create outside stone garden mosaics or fix a neighbourhood eye sore with mosaic medallions. Each project will be made to suit the organization, group or neighbourhood that leads the project.

Each project also encourages participation from hands on to contra or cash sponsorship and material donations. These projects will give all who want to participate an ability to give what they can.

At Mosaic the City we believe that if everyone gives a little of what they have we all gain a lot.