Did you ever stop to consider the math all around us? Here, at the Mathematical Star Mosaic, art and mathematics intertwine beautifully.
The Mathematical Star Mosaic graces Marcy Plaza in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn. It is a testament to community collaboration and artistic vision. Ellen Harvey designed this captivating floor mosaic in 2013.
The design draws inspiration from a quilt pattern. This pattern is known as the “mathematical star”. It is a design used across diverse communities. The mosaic is twenty feet in diameter. That’s about 6.10 meters. Miotto Mosaics Art Studios fabricated it. The Percent for Art Program commissioned it. It was commissioned by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Look closely at the diamonds within the quilt pattern. These are not random. They are derived from photographs. The photographs depict 18 historically significant sites. These sites are all located in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Community Board 3 played a role. They selected these important sites.
The Mathematical Star Mosaic became a learning tool in 2018. Children of Promise is a local nonprofit. It serves children with incarcerated parents. The mosaic served as a starting point. It helped them research neighborhood history. Ellen Harvey and Kendal Henry gave a presentation. They are from New York’s Percent for Art program.
The children worked with mentors. The mentors worked in architecture and urban planning. They shared their discoveries with parents and friends. News12Brooklyn covered the presentation on February 3 2018.
Mosaics themselves have a rich history. They go back to the third millennium B.C. Sumerians used mosaics to decorate architecture. The Greeks and Romans refined the technique. Roman artists used naturally colored marble. They used them as tesserae. Tesserae are small mosaic tiles. Mosaics often adorned floors in temples and baths.
Mosaic art develops many skills. These skills include matching and sorting. Also recognition and assembling. Decision-making manual dexterity concentration are also trained. Moreover attention patience problem-solving are included. Memory logic perception imagination and creativity are also promoted. Spatial and visual organization are improved. Fine motor skills are as well.
So take a moment to appreciate the Mathematical Star Mosaic. It’s not just a pretty picture. It represents community history and artistic collaboration. It shows how math can be beautiful. It enhances our understanding. This mosaic is a vibrant piece of public art. It enriches the Marcy Plaza space.