TEACHER DENISE SICA gives instructions in a mosaic art class to David Butryn, Hannah Van Soelen, Hannah Venckus and Melissa Michaue earlier this week outside the Old Art Building in Leland.

Editor’s note: Each week throughout the summer, Enterprise intern Kate McCarty is attending a class at a county non-profit arts organization and writing about her experience.

Not every art class begins with breaking things to create something else – but Denise Sica’s does.

Sica, of Northport, begins her mosaic class at the Old Art Building by breaking different colored tiles with hammers. The result is dozens of pieces small enough to make patterns for the mosaics.

At Sica’s class Monday morning, students made footstools by using tiles they hand-painted. Each student individually designed their mosaics.

Sica got her art start early in life, and went to college to pursue a degree in ceramics.

“I took a class with a friend and I’ve been doing it ever since,” said Sica, who has been teaching the class for six years.

“I like working, physically, with objects,” Sica said. “Grout, clay, they’re all similar.”

She explained that working with mosaics is similar to other art forms.

“It’s almost like painting, using so many different colors,” she said.

The five students who took her class also enjoyed the colors and patterns they got to create. For David Butryn, his favorite part was getting to use a hammer.

“Breaking the tiles was my favorite thing so far,” he said, grinning. He said that he’d never made mosaics of any kind before, but thought that the class sounded interesting and tried it out.

Other members of the class had a little experience in mosaics, whether in class at Leland Public School or through another program. Corrine Blaida was an example.

DAVID BUTRYN learns from teacher Denise Sica
how to place different colored tiles on a footstool.

“I’ve taken the class twice before and really liked it,” she said. Her favorite part is the messiest, and usually comes last.

“Grouting is probably the best part,” she said.

Other class members said that it’s a fun art form that allows them to be creative.

“All the different patterns that you can do makes it really cool,” said first-time mosaic student Melissa Michaue.

Hannah Van Soelen, from Carmel, Ind., agreed. She was also a first-timer, and said she enjoyed all the colors and options she had with the tiles.

Creating a tile mosaic is usually a multi-step process. The class is two days long and on the first day, students design their mosaics and glue them to wood. They could also paint the base of their footstools if they choose to. The second day involved grouting work.

The mosaic class marks the last of the children’s art classes for the summer at Leelanau Community Cultural Center and the Old Art Building. Check the website for updates for fall programs, and events that will take place during the remainder of the summer. For more information, visit www.oldartbuilding.com or call 256-2131.