Mosaic Installation in Ghana

I have been given an amazing opportunity to go to Ghana, West Africa this August to install an 8' by 8' mosaic floor for Seth's Social Center at the Touch A Life Foundation's Care Center, a long-term rehabilitative care center for trafficked children. The social center is named after Seth Yetter who was an incredible 25-year-old living his dream in New York City and loving life when he left this earth on December 10, 2011. (You can read more about the children and the Center and see a video about Seth and his amazing family here.)

Seth's mom, Dana, contacted Colorado Mosaic Artists (CMA), a group I recently joined, to see if we would do a large mosaic for the floor of the Seth's Social Center pavilion. After deciding to take on the task, many of our artists submitted ideas for the mosaic and a final design was approved by Dana. Some of us started working on the actual mosaic in very early June. Then the weekend of June 7-9 many more of us got together in Breckenridge, CO for a "CMA retreat" where we feverishly worked on the mosaic. I'm so happy that Dana was able to join us in Breckenridge and help work on the mosaic! Different artists took different sections of the mosaic to work on and we finished cutting the tile and gluing it to mesh during our retreat. Now, all that's left is to put it all together, tape it securely, then cut it all apart in smaller sections so another artist (Misha) and I can take it with us to Ghana: where we'll put it back together one more time and install it: and then grout it...whew! The children at the center are going to help us put the colorful border on the mosaic when we get there!
Some of the artists that worked on the mosaic in Breck (above)

The mosaic design is inspired by Seth's love of squirrels and his spirit of adventure. Seth's motto was "Have an adventure every day". When we get to Ghana we will turn the compass in the upper right corner to "true north". The globe in the bottom left corner has stars over New York City, where Seth was living when he passed, and over Ghana, where the mosaic will be installed. The dedication for Seth's Social Center will take place while we are there in Ghana.

So, the reason you are receiving this is that it will cost around $4,000 for me to travel to Ghana for this once-in-a-lifetime experience "“ that includes airfare, in-country expenses (food, hotel, transportation, etc), vaccinations (a lot of them!), a visa to enter the country, etc. The Colorado Mosaic Artists group has generously given me the very first CMA Educational Grant that will help with a small amount of the cost (Thank You!), but I still need to raise the rest of the money. Some of you know that recently my job went from full-time to part-time. With that "extra free time" I'm hoping I can concentrate on doing what I want to do when I grow up "“ mosaics! Believing that there are no coincidences in life, I just know I was meant to go to Ghana to see this mosaic project from start to finish.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to travel to Ghana with Misha and Dana to install this collaborative work of art in honor of Seth and meet these incredible children. Anything you can contribute towards my trip, no matter how small, is truly appreciated.

Love and blessings to all of you. Thank you!

Kathy