Nola Diamantopoulos
Mosaic Art School of Sydney Director
Nola Diamantopoulos is a sculptor, drawer, mosaicist and faciliator in Imaginative Thinking & Creative Empowerment workshops. She is the founder of the Mosaic Assocaition of Australia and New Zealand (MAANZ), established in 2002 and supporting almost 500 mosaic professionals and enthusiasts.
Nola is the founder of the Mosaic Art School of Sydney and the creator of the schools curriculum. Nola has been developing & teaching art & mosaics programs for the public & private and corporate communities since 1998 and has taught over 4000 students.
Her unique approach to art education has inspired many to pursue their creative potential and to experience the world and her mysteries in many different ways.
Nola is an exhibiting artist and is represented by Artereal Gallery in Sydney.
You can learn more about Nola's role as a creative director at:
The Mosaic Art School of Sydney is affiliated with the Chicago Mosaic School www.chicagomosaicschool.com. Together we share philosophies of teaching, exchange inspirational and imaginative ideas for the development of our students and our school. We have a teacher exchange program. That means that our students are exposed to a variety of teaching styles and ways of mosaic art making. In coming years the two schools will offer a student exchange program, an opportunity to study and work overseas.
Karen Ami
Chicago Mosaic School Director
Karen Ami is the Founder and Executive Director of the Chicago Mosaic School, the first and
the only academically oriented Mosaic Arts School in the Americas. She is also President Emeritus of The Society of American Mosaic Artists and has served on the Board of Trustees since 2005. She has a Masters of Art (MFA)
, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BFA from The Boston Museum School and has completed i
ndependent study in Italy (Scuolo Mosaici Orsoni, Venice), Ecuador, Costa Rica, Nevis, Mexico, and Ireland.
Her passion for study and mosaics have brought her classes to students from around the world through CMS. Ms. Ami has exhibited in over 24 countries and has been teaching ceramics, sculpture, and mosaic art for over 25 years.
Luisa Catanzaro
MASS Finance Executive
Luisa is a senior level finance executive with chartered accounting qualifications and a strong background in financial/management reporting and risk management. She has significant experience in business turnarounds, business acquisitions and divestments, due diligence (at both the purchaser and vendor level), initial public offerings, debt and equity raisings (both as an advisor and as a CFO) and was responsible for the integration of the finance function under a takeover situation (Hanson Plc and Pioneer International Limited) and a divestment situation (Dairy Farmers to Kirin).
Luisa has extensive listed company experience across the agribusiness and building materials sector.
Luisa has a keen interest in the arts and owns Artereal Gallery in Sydney.
Liz Fitzpatrick
Course Coordinator
Liz is an educator with
over thirty years experience. Her career includes the coordination
and teaching of many programs; working in TAFE, training organisations, and
schools. She is the current National Education Officer for MAANZ. While Liz’s professional career has been in
education, her passion has always been art. She has an
emerging studio practice in mosaics that has been gaining momentum since 2004. Her
mosaic experience includes private and public commissions, exhibiting and facilitating
classes. This expands on many years of working in the fields of textiles,
drawing and painting.
Lea Kannar
Mosaic Art Teacher
Lea Kannar is an artist working in many mediums including mosaics, painting, printmaking and drawing. Studying independently, she has worked with many of Australia’s leading artists. For 5 years Lea has been the National Exhibition Coordinator and Curator for MAANZ. Her writings on mosaics have been published in various magazines and the 2007 MAANZ Symposium book. Her works have won and been selected in many prestigous art prizes, and can be seen in galleries and private collections in Australia and overseas.
