Gail Rosenbloom Kaplan
and Dani Katsir

Gail Rosenbloom Kaplan We are all parts of a whole. I am a painter. I am a sculptor. I am a designer. I am a curator. My work as an artist and my vision of what art should be cannot be separated. Art is the pulse of my life.

I am a graduate of the University of Michigan, School of Art, where I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. While I work in a variety of mediums, I have most recently been involved with community mosaic installations. While not teaching in the traditional classroom, I have entered hospitals, senior residences, schools, clinics and museums to work with large groups of children and adults, often together on intergenerational pieces. These permanent community mosaic installations not only have added art to the buildings but have given ownership and pride to all those who have worked together on the creative community effort. At the same time, I believe that helping others to fmd their own hidden abilities has enhanced my own repertoire as an artist.

Dani Katsir A retired Israeli Air Force Lt. Colonel, Dani Katsir came to the United States in 1986. Since that time, he has worked as an artist using the glass media. Using both his skills as an artist and experience in group settings, he has collaborated on community mosaics.

The theme of a community mosaic is greatly influenced by where the permanent installation will be and by the participants involved. When we worked with students on an installation for a high school lobby, a design was created that reflected the activities and focus of high school. .. from the academics, to sports, music and dance. When working on a project with student athletes for a youth center, we involved the images of sports. When working on an installation for Children's Hospital of Detroit HIV clinic we used the theme, the Tree of Hope, to symbolize growth and nourishment. Using the CPAD grant with students 13-18 year of age, we would brainstorm images and ideas with the participants themselves. While we have worked on many installations in the Michigan, it would be exciting to take the students of a tour of different sites. Once an idea was brainstormed and developed with the students, we would work together to execute the design. Teaching the students to work with the materials is an exciting and engaging process. Many students in the Detroit Schools have not been given access to an art education. This would be a wonderful exposure and opportunity for them. It is also been our experience to bring students together with seniors in the community on these projects, as each individual has different strengths and experiences to offer.

Working in many different mediums we have personally discovered the "buzzword" being talked about in the medical field ..•• the healing power of art. Using the CP AD grant to help students bring art to their community would have a twofold effect. By adding art to their lives they would have a richer exposure to the world around them. And when viewing the art they have created in a permanent site, they will know which tiles they have contributed. And because their work will be in a public and permanent setting, their pride will be evident in how they respect the space. Whether their art work becomes an installation in their school, church, community center ..... or becomes part of a greater installation by students at Metro Airport or one of our major sports arenas, the opportunity to be part of this experience can only enrich their lives.