SAGE SOCIETY MINUTES
Date: November 9, 2021
Location: Pat Conroy Literary Center, Beaufort, SC
Members in attendance:
Armer, Donna
Atkins, Sandi
Davenport, Rebecca
Gallagher, Diane
Hathaway, Barbara
Heath, Stuart
Lawson, Ruth Ann
Mikell, Maryann
Robertson, Alvesta
Stocks, Jerry
Thomas, Melba
Weeks, Martha
Guests: Sharon Sanders, Bonnie McCardell, Sibet Sanders Partee
Barbara called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm
General business discussed:
Barbara reminded everyone that there will not be a December meeting. She reviewed upcoming presentation dates through May 2022 and made corrections to some of the months.
Presentation by Jerry Stocks
Topic: Mosaics through the Ages
Jerry discussed the ancient art of mosaics, which goes back 4,000 years and can be found on the walls and floors of churches and other ancient ruins. She described the technique of mosaic art which uses both stone and pieces of glass, called tesserae. She focused on the mosaic art in the Basilica San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy which dates back to 547 AD. She showed photographs of the huge mosaics on the walls which depicted religious and political figures and scenes. These were created using the direct method of applying pieces of glass and stone directly to the surface of the wall using damp mortar.
Included in the photos was a section of a larger mosaic which featured a tortoise and a heron. Jerry used this small section as a model to create a mosaic tray that she made for an art project that she completed in 2013. She noted that the hammer and chisel she used to break glass into tesserae are the same tools used in 500 AD, and that the heron and tortoise image is as appropriate now in the Low Country as it was back then.
Meeting adjourned: 4:40 pm
Next regular meeting will be on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 4 pm
List of presenters for 2022– to be updated:
January 11: Annual Meeting (no program)
February 8: Rebecca
March 8: Donna
April 12: Stuart
May 10: Barbara
Respectfully submitted by Sandi Atkins, Secretary, on November 16, 2021
