Introducing
Mosaic Art Now
(2008 edition)

The concept:
Mosaic Art Now is a magazine-catalog that showcases contemporary mosaic art from artists throughout the world. Its purpose is to help raise awareness in the art community about mosaic as a modern form of fine and decorative art.

Mosaic Art Now is a spin off from the Mosaic Yearbook Project. Now in its third year, the Mosaic Yearbook is an annual digital publication of photos of mosaic art created by artists worldwide. This year's edition contains 1111 photos from 615 artists representing 33 countries and territories. It includes works from professional as well as emerging mosaic artists and offers examples of the diversity of styles, techniques, and materials used in modern mosaic art.

Mosaic Art Now (2008) will present approximately 100 mosaics from the current Mosaic Yearbook collection. Each entry includes a full-color photograph along with information about the mosaic and its artist.

There are two audiences for this magazine-catalog: (1) mosaic artists and (2) the art community (buyers, educators, gallery owners, etc.). This collection will be a source of inspiration and learning, illustrating how some of the finest mosaic artists use different materials and techniques to create great works of art. Each mosaic in this collection also serves as an ambassador to the general art loving public calling attention to fine art mosaics.

Our plans are to publish Mosaic Art Now annually. As this project evolves, we may discover a need and audience for other editions throughout the year.

Selection Process:
For this year, six artist-reviewers selected their favorite mosaics for inclusion in the magazine. These reviewers were chosen based on geography (one from each continent - except for Antarctica), commitment and contribution to mosaic art, and diversity of artwork. They come from Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Each reviewer was asked to select 25 mosaics which represented the best examples of fine mosaic art and their own personal preferences. Each of their selections will be included in the magazine - totaling approximately 100 different mosaics with duplicate selections taken into consideration. This was not a group decision but individual selections. The intention was to get as broad a range of styles as possible while maintaining a commitment to excellence in artistry and technique.

Contents:
The current plan is for a 64-page magazine. The content includes:

- Contents Page (1 page)
- Opening commentary from the editor (2 pages)
- Artist profiles of the six reviewers (12 pages)
- Gallery of Mosaics (40 pages)
- Closing Article (1 page)
- Advertisements (6 pages)
- Front and Back covers (2 pages)

Distribution:
Mosaic Art Now will be self-published and distributed. Advances in technology have made this possible and economically feasible. Self-publishing has its advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, it enables groups (like us) to produce a high-quality product on a smaller scale to reach niche markets - those which the larger publishers usually ignore. On the down side, we do not have ready access to the distribution channels which the big corporations have. Because of this, we will need to find alternative, non-traditional channels to distribute the magazine.

I anticipate that interest and demand for this publication will grow over time as we find new and creative ways to get this into the hands of the general public.

To start, there is a ready market for the magazine among mosaic artists worldwide. We currently have access to thousands of mosaic artists through the Yearbook's mailing list as well as numerous vendors, workshop leaders, organizations, and other businesses who market to mosaic artists throughout the globe.

Reaching the broader community is not as easy - but it's not impossible. The community of mosaic artists is close-knit, and I anticipate that collectively, we will find all sorts of distribution channels for this publication.

The first printing of Mosaic Art Now (2008) will be 2000 copies. We will do a second (or third) printing as needed.

Advertising:
There is limited space for advertising in the magazine. If you are interested in placing an ad, consider the two markets we are trying to reach:

(1) Mosaic Artists: Since we know that this first edition of the magazine will reach mosaic artists world-wide, businesses that provide products and services to mosaic artists are encouraged to consider placing an ad.

(2) The General Art Community: Artists who want to promote themselves and their services can place an ad. However, keep in mind that this is the first edition of this magazine and reaching this market will not happen immediately. You will get exposure but probably not on the scale that you will achieve in future editions.

(sample half-page and quarter-page ads)

All ads will be printed in full color on glossy 80# paper. Ads must be submitted in digital format in either JPG or PDF format. PDF files should be saved for high resolution printing with graphics and fonts embedded.
Your file should be high resolution at 300 dpi and converted to CMYK color. Files should not be compressed. Files can be delivered by email or on CD-ROM.

Size:

Rates:

As an advertiser, you will also be included on the Mosaic Yearbook website and a new website (name to be determined) which will be devoted to the magazine.

Schedule:

If you have any questions about advertising in this publication, please email me at: bill@mosaicrocks.com 

When you are ready to reserve a space for your ad, please go to this link to purchase the advertisement size that you want. http://shop.mosaicyearbook.com/shop/magazine.asp
I will then be in contact with you to answer any questions and walk you through any technical requirements.

Bill Buckingham

Mosaic Rocks, LLC
PO Box 2146
Wakefield, MA 01880