Mary Jo Bellner Swartzberg
If you have ever visited any of the ancient cities of the world, you have probably seen the beautiful and intricate artistic style of mosaic art. Mosaic style is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. The oldest mosaics were made of stones, shells, and ivory. The most ancient mosaics date to the 3rd millennium BCE. Some mosaic art, found in the Americas, dates from at least 250 CE in the Mayan civilization. (mosaicartgallery.com/history-of-mosaics)
It might surprise the reader of this article to know that there is an artist-in-residence in SaddleBrooke who specializes in mosaic art: Judith Ambrosini. Judith is a mosaic artist and has been creating mosaic art for 15 years. She has even shown and sold her work in San Diego.
To support the Oracle Schools Foundation, Judith donated a Mosaic Workshop for one of the fixed price items for the 2025 Oracle Schools Foundation Gala. Six individuals signed up for her creative two-day mosaic class, which was held in Judith’s art studio on April 10 and 17.
The most important fundraiser for the Oracle Schools Foundation is the annual Gala (consisting of fixed price items, a silent auction, and a live auction). The Gala was held on March 15, and the theme this year was “Ten Years of Champions Helping Children.” Over $70,000 was raised for the Oracle Schools Foundation.
Some background about the Oracle Schools Foundation: The Oracle Schools Foundation was created by SaddleBrooke residents who recognized that the students at the Mountain Vista School in Oracle needed a free kindergarten prep program for three- and four-year-old children. This program is not funded by the State of Arizona, although research strongly suggests that early education predicts later success in school and in life.
Mountain Vista is a Title I School in that it serves and educates many students from low-income families. The majority of students qualify for free or reduced breakfast and lunch.
Note: There are still some items available that were offered at the 2025 Gala. Go to the Oracle Schools Foundation website at www.oracleschoolsfoundation.com for further details.
Plans are currently underway for the 2026 Oracle Schools Foundation Gala. Details will be forthcoming!