Bio

Carole Lulham is a mixed media artist who focuses on contemporary mosaic art mostly made with natural and repurposed materials. She lives in Saint John, enjoys travel within and beyond New Brunswick and is fluently bilingual (French, English).

''I became a professional artist in 2018, following a career in horticulture, agronomy, and post secondary education. My art practice is threefold: producing work for juried art shows and galleries, teaching my art to adults and children, and working with community groups (cultural mediation) on community-building projects. I am a professional member of Artsnb, l'Association des Artistes Acadiens du Nouveau-Brunswick, Craft NB, and CARFAC.''

Residency Project

Collaborating with the client school, I initiate my process by meeting with the teacher(s) to discuss project objectives and planned outcomes. I develop an outline for a tangible, age-appropriate project, often a mural. Two or more proposals are returned to the school, and following selection (or amendment), I begin project preparation. This can include subject research, materials acquisition in a cost-effective manner, preparing all necessary tool kits and accessories. On selected dates, I am onsite with the class(es), to explain and execute the project. I have been on site for periods ranging from one to fourteen days, working with groups of up to 75, mixed ages 6 to 90. I usually request volunteers, surely if groups are large. I provide EVERYTHING from materials to tools to cleaning materials, arranged buffet-style (that's the fun part!).

For example, I proposed and executed a mosaic mask series for a Grade 2 class at École des Bâtisseurs in Frederiction in 2021, between COVID outbreaks. The idea was to study Spirit Animals in Aboriginal culture (a person from that background was hired to deliver that part). Each child was to identify his/her spirit animal. I prepared animal backings, then each child created their own mosaic face. In another example, families from Newcomer groups were invited to create a wave mosaic mural 92.5 m x 1.2 m to decorate the multifunctional hall at Le Centre Culturel de Dieppe in May 2023. Over 100 individual mosaics were created as well for participants to bring home. Two all-age community projects were completed: Saint-Quentin, NB had over 50 citizens create a mural of their design idea, a monarch butterfly representing HOPE in 2020 and Beaubassin-Est created two mosaic flower murals in 2022. All these projects occurred under the challenging circumstances caused by COVID restrictions.

Teaching Experience

My art teaching experience with children began in 2009 in Mississauga, ON. I was assigned rotating groups of children from grades 2-6 over a one week priod, working in groups of twenty. These children created a large mosaic measuring 2.5m x 3.5m made of donated ceramic tile. I had children with ADHD who thrived in this project.

Since being based in New Brunswick, my group projects involving children include:

2020: Outdoor mosaic mural and 36 concrete stepping stones, Saint-Quentin, over fifty participants, almost one half under 12

2021: Spirit animal mosaic mask project, École des Bâtisseurs, Fredericton

2022: L'été en fleurs: Floral mosaic project, Beaubassin Est. Over forty individual imaginary mosaic flowers created by community adults and children, and assembled by myself onto two large outdoor murals

2023: Newcomer group project, Dieppe Cultural Centre (CAFi). Over seventy five people created a large inside mural and over 100 individual take-home mosaics, over half of whom were children

I regularly teach mosaic classes around New Brunswick at NBCCD, AX Sussex, Fundy Gardeners and other places. I was a post-secondary horticulture instructor, director and Dean, and I obtained a Certificate in Adult Education from Mount Royal University in Calgary.