Artist Shelly Hamill is to open an exhibition of her new mosaic work as well as her students' work at the Rick Faries Gallery on Friday.

Mrs. Hamill will display her mosaic techniques and student work from her mosaic classes at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.

The exhibition is part of the Artists in the Gardens Series of exhibitions which gives Bermuda's artists the opportunity to show and sell work.

Mrs. Hamill completed a Masters in Tile Mosaic at the Orsoni School, Venice, Italy in 2007 and works in photographic mosaic, glass tile mosaic, wood block mosaic and ceramic tile mosaic sculpture.

Since moving to the Island, she has been actively involved with Bermuda's art institutions and foundations. She has had a variety of roles with the Island's galleries and art foundations, including organising special events and creating art opportunities at the school level.

In 1998, Mrs. Hamill founded Art in the Park — a free art opportunity for children including arts and crafts, live music, dancing and storytelling. She continued to organise and oversee the programme from 1998 to 2003.

She said: "I am so thrilled and excited to be offering a solo show with Masterworks as part of their Artist in the Garden Series," she said.

"The Rick Faries Gallery is beautiful and I am looking forward to seeing my work displayed there. Mosaics are a labour of love, gathering the materials, piecing them together over time to create a whole new image or sculpture.

"I hope my work will be well received and that a new audience will learn to love the ancient art of mosaics.

"I love seeing how each new person to mosaics takes the same materials and interprets them differently," said Mrs. Hamill.

"It just shows the broad range of possibilities of this medium and how quickly someone can be successful in their creation."

The exhibition will run from April 17 to 29 at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.

Opening reception is on April 17 from 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information ring 236-2950 or email mworks@logic.bm