2023 MOSAIC MARATHON | Buffalo, NY

Thanks to our partnership with the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) - we are excited about incorporating a new element into our conference this year: the Mosaic Marathon! Consecutively with the educational program, the Mosaic Marathon is an around-the-clock collaborative mosaic-making project that will run throughout the week. Participants have the opportunity to work together to create a beautiful and unique mosaic that has been designed in collaboration with a lead artist and a non-profit local to that year’s conference site. The mosaic is permanently installed for the non-profit. This is an incredible chance to get involved in a meaningful community project while honing your artistic skills and making new connections. As an organization that feels strongly about both getting involved in the community to advocate for the work of our members as well as finding creative new ways to engage with our future leaders, we simply could not be more excited about this project.

Origins of the Mosaic Marathon 

The Mosaic Marathon brings together our members for a unique opportunity to create a mosaic in a cooperative, networking experience. The  Mosaic Marathon creates a lasting piece of art that is donated to a local charity in  our host conference city. As a not-for-profit organization, this is an opportunity for SAMA to give back to the arts community and create a lasting reminder of the  legacy of SAMA and its mission. 

2023’s Non-Profit Partner | The Care Management Coalition

The 2023 Mosaic Marathon will be created for and installed to be exhibited at the Care Management Coalition (CMC) at 1021 Broadway in Buffalo, NY.
 

Located at 1021 Broadway Street, the CMC is deeply rooted in the spirit of community service and innovation, ensuring that it stays at the forefront of human services while adapting to the evolving needs of the East Buffalo community. By working side-by-side with community members and maintaining the highest possible standards, the CMC is committed to making a measurable difference in the lives of individuals, families, organizations, and communities. This unique coalition demonstrates the powerful impact that can be achieved when nonprofits unite to foster a healthier, more vibrant culture of community life in East Buffalo.

The nonprofits that form CMC include:

• Beyond Support Network, https://beyondwny.org/ 
• Buffalo Urban League, https://www.buffalourbanleague.org/ 
• Center for Self-Advocacy, www.center4sa.org 
• EPIC – Every Person Influences Children https://www.epicforchildren.org/  (opens new window)
• Mental Health Advocates of Western New York, www.mhawny.org 
• Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, www.opwdd.ny.gov 
• Parent Network of WNY, www.parentnetworkwny.org 
• Project Play Western New York, www.projectplaywny.org 
• Self-Advocacy Association of New York State, www.sanys.org 
• Spectrum Health & Human Services, www.shswny.org 

For further information check out these recent local news articles:

• New Care Management Coalition of Western New York celebrated grand opening (opens new window)
• Watch now: Tara N. Burgess on Care Management Coalition (opens new window)
• How a new, full-service health and wellness hub plans to help lift the East Side (opens new window) 
   

2023’s SPONSORS

Past Mosaic Marathons

Each project was completed with a budget between $8,000 and $10,000 of donated materials and design and planning and was completed over a 3-5 day period with over 300 volunteer hours.