The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC), in partnership with Hillsborough artist Carlos González García, is excited to announce the #LoveHillsborough Community Art Project. This public art project will feature small heart-shaped mosaics made by you – Hillsborough community members – and installed together by artist Carlos to form a large mural. The mural will be installed on the westward facing wall on the ground floor of the Eno River Public Parking Deck in Downtown Hillsborough, directly behind Weaver Street Market.
Registration for #LoveHillsborough is closed, but stay tuned for updates on the installation!
What do I need to make a mosaic?
The beauty of mosaic is that you can create it with items you probably already have at your house! Here’s what you’ll need:
- A 16” x 16” sheet of paper, or smaller pieces of paper taped together and then trimmed to 16” x 16”.
- Mosaic materials: this can be pieces of ceramic, glass, even plastic. You can purchase specialty mosaic glass here, but broken plates or china, old jewelry, colored glass, even Legos make great materials. You’ll want to avoid any natural materials that may erode over time such as cotton, fabric, or plant materials.
- Nippers or something to break your materials: Nippers allow better control of your pieces and can be purchased for about $15 at one of our local hardware stores (look in the “Tile Tools” section at Home Depot or Lowe’s; Dual Supply in Hillsborough doesn’t keep these in stock). No nippers? No worries! Just break up your materials (covered in something sturdy and outside!) with a hammer and use the pieces to create a more free-form mosaic. If you’d like to borrow a set of nippers, email us.
- A 17″ x 17″ piece of fiberglass drywall tape: You can use one large sheet, or strips from a smaller roll taped together. This is the one item you really can’t find a home substitute for. Most local stores sell small rolls that are about 2″ wide; this works fine, but you’ll need to tape multiple strips together to get the required 17″ x 17″. You can buy wider rolls on Amazon here or full sheets on Amazon here. If you need a sheet and don’t want to buy a whole roll, email us your mailing address and we’ll mail you some.
- A 16″ x 16″ piece of clear plastic vinyl: You can use vinyl sheeting that can purchased at a local craft or hardware store, or plastic wrap, or even a (clean) clear shower curtain.
- Glue: Carlos recommends WeldBond, but you can also use good ole’ Elmer’s Glue.
Where can I learn how to make a mosaic?
Check out Carlos’ instructional video here.
Who is this Carlos fella?
Carlos recently relocated to Hillsborough from Cuernavaca, Mexico. He holds a master’s degree in mosaics from Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli (The Mosaic School of Friuli) in Spilimbergo, Italy, the only program in the world to offer such a degree. He has big plans to open a mosaic school here in Hillsborough later this year, and after discovering how fun mosaic is, we’re sure you’ll want to be a student! To learn more about Carlos, see his featured story as June’s Artist of the Month.
Other FAQ’s:
- You must include a heart to have your piece installed. This is “Love” Hillsborough, after all!
- You do not have to grout the gaps and spaces in your mosaic. Carlos will do this as part of the installation process!
