Bio / resume' | Exhibitions
bio
Carol Shelkin is a visual artist and art instructor who also creates contemporary fine-art mosaics. Her original work with hand-cut stained glass is intricate, revealing an attention to detail that distinguishes her among other artists. She has created a style that is defined as: Painting With Glass.
From the moment she could hold a crayon, Carol was an artist. She attended Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia at age seven and continued to pursue her passion throughout her young life, studying painting at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and mosaics in Ravenna, Italy with master craftsmen. Her eclectic approach to surface design—placing glass where a painter would naturally place paint—is the perfect marriage of these two loves.
As a full-time artist, Carol creates one-of-a-kind pieces that make their home in galleries, community centers, libraries, and commercial and residential settings. She has received several grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Upper Darby Arts, and she was awarded the prestigious Robin Brett Mosaic Scholarship from the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA). She is a founding member and past president of the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia; the founder of Mosaic Art Worldwide Retreats, Workshops and Tours, Juried - Master Artisan, of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman, and an active member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists.
For those who want to learn the art of mosaic making, Carol, teaches on going workshops in and around Philadelphia, weekend and weeklong workshops all over the world since 2008, helping students turn their creative visions into original works of art. She continues to take travelers to retreats and tours in such places as Italy, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, Morocco and France to name a few.
Click HERE for a list of upcoming - in person RETREATS, WORKSHOPS and HERE for COURSES ONLINE
Visit me on YouTube...
Resume'
Education | Selected Studies | Residencies | Gallery Shows
-Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | Philadelphia, PA
-Philadelphia College of Art | Saturday Classes
Philadelphia, PA
-Fleisher Art Memorial | Louise Clement-Hoff, Philadelphia, PA
-Studio Arte Del Mosaico | Luciana Notturni Ravenna, Italy
-SAMA Workshop: Chicago | Roman Andamento: Gary Drostle
-Workshop in Mosaic Art | Mosaic Art: Verdiano Marzi, Chicago
Selected Scholarships and Awards
Robin Brett Mosaic Scholarship Society of American Mosaic Artists
Wallingford Art Center Second Place Members' Exhibition Wallingford, PA
2009 Contemporary Mosaic Art Signaled Work | Guilio Menossi, Juror
Ciel Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Faces 1st Place Ciel Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Fleisher Art Memorial 1st place - 2nd Place Student Shows
Grants & Gifts
Upper Darby Arts Aronimink Elementary Drexel Hill, PA
Upper Darby Principal’s Grant Kindergarten Center Drexel Hill, PA
PA Council on the Arts Schoolhouse Center Mosaic Folsom
Ohev Shalom Synagogue
New Hope & Lambertville Library
Solo | Small Group Shows | Invitationals
Vanderbilt University | Cohen Gallery Nashville, TN
MAC | Media Arts Council Media, PA
Sweet Mable Arts | Narberth, PA
Institute of Mosaic Art Oakland, California
One-Person's Mosaics: Carol Shelkin
Philadelphia's Magic Garden Philadelphia, PA
Presentations
CMA2 Second Monday Speaker
Warner Art Glass: Mosaic Introduction | Allentrown, PA
Touchstone Center for Crafts: Independence: A Mosaic Symposium
Senior Community Services
Mosaic Society of Philadelphia
Main Line School Night
Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand Symposium
Gallery Talk: Boston, Massachusetts
Main Line Art Center
Mosaic Arts Michigan (MAM)
Selected Juried Exhibitions and Invitations
100 Moments - Regional and Online Exhibition
2024, 2025
Clay Studio Philadelphia SMALL FAVOURS
2022, 2023
MOSAIC ART INTERNATIONAL | INVITATIONAL EXHIBITION: Embodied VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY | NASHVILLE, TN
2019
Mosaic Society of Philadelphia | Member's Show 2008 - 2018
Sweet Mable Gallery: Invitational | Three Carol's & a Claire | Narberth, PA
2015
Media Arts Council | Juried Show Media, PA
2015
Contemporary Mosaic Art Summit | Invitational | Thorndike Gallery Ashland, Oregon
2015
Mosaic Arts International | Juried | 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 | San Diego, Chicago, Austin, Philadelphia
Signatures: 15 Artists Making Their Mark in Mosaic | Invitational | Highfield Hall Gallery | Falmouth, Mass
2013
Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand | Invitational | Melbourne, Australia
Salon Show
2013
Clauiano Art Exhibition Gallery | Invitational | Udine, Italy
Selected Community Projects Lead Artist
Appel Farm Arts Camp 55th Anniversary Community Mosaic
Ohev Shalom Synagogue Wallingford, PA
Aronimink Elementary School, Drexel Hill, PA (350 children - current)
Upper Darby High School Legacy Mural Upper Darby, PA (Art Club/Consultant)
Kindergarten Center, Drexel Hill, PA (600 children)
Lambertville Library Lambertville, NJ (14+ teens & adult volunteers)
Schoolhouse Senior Center Folsom, PA (100 participants)
Related Work Experience and Mosaic Workshops & Retreats Worldwide (Selected)
Retreats & Worldwide Tours
2012 - Present Costa Rica, Mosaic Art ReTreat
Barcelona, Spain - Art Tour
Florence, Italy - Art Tour
Rome, Italy - Art Tour
Paris, France - Art Tour
Barcelona, Spain - Art Tour
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Retreat & Art Tour
Lisbon - Art Tour
Morocco - Art Tour
Barcelona, Spain - Art Tour
South Africa - Art Tour
Philadelphia USA - Art Tour
Work Experiance
2009 - Present Schoolhouse Center | Folsom, PA
2025 Piece by Piece | L.A., California
2023 Valencia Mosaico | Tijuana, MX
2020 - Present Zoom Private Workshops
2021 Main Line School Night Mosaic Workshop
2021 Zoom Workshop SAMA Conferance
2012 - Present Delphi Stained Glass | Lansing, MI
2014 Mosaic Beach Studios | Toronto
2016 - Present Luna Mosaics (Mosaic Arts) | Orlando, Florida
2015 Conference Co-Host | Society of American Mosaic Artists; Philadelphia
2008 - present Lead Tour Guide and Instructor Worldwide Mosaic Art Retreats, Tours and Workshops: Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Canada, Australia, Italy, Ireland (selected)
2015 - 18. Touchstone Center for Crafts | Farmington, PA
2010 - 2015 Institute of Mosaic Art Oakland, CA and Berkeley, CA
2011 - Present Warner Stained Glass: Mosaic | Allentown, PA
2011 – 2014 Seattle School of Mosaic Art | Seattle, WA
2011 - Present Santa Barbara School of Mosaic Art | California
2011 – 2014 The Clay Studio, Intro to Mosaics | Phila., PA
2011 - 2014 Main Line Art Center Haverford, PA
2010 - Present Society of American Mosaic Artists; Instructor
2010 - 2017. Institute of Mosaic Art Oakland | Berkeley, California
2009 – 2013 Maplestone Gallery Ontario, Canada
2009, 2010 Abington Art Center Jenkintown, PA
2009 - present Main Line School Night Radnor, PA
2009 - 2014 Ciel Gallery Charlotte, NC
2009 - 2015. Sweet Mabel Gallery Narberth, PA
2006 - present Schoolhouse Senior Center Folsom, PA
Publications (Selected)
Groutline: Society of American Mosaic Artists: Fall 2010, Working With Older Adults in Mosaic: Mosaics for Seniors Newsletter 2010
Mosaic Fine Art, Carol Shelkin: Featured Artist | Portraits | Irit Levy, Pam Givens 2011
Breakout! Your Pathway to Success, Brit Hammer-Dijcks, 2011
Craft Magazine: Mosaic Art Pumps, Volume 9, Page 95
Residencies
Olive Stack Gallery, Listowel, Ireland | November 2016
Professional Affiliations
The Society of American Mosaic Artists
British Association for Modern Mosaics (BAMM)
Mosaic Society of Philadelphia - Past President
Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen – Juried | Master Artisan
Fleisher Art Memorial | Philadelphia
Photo Credit: Leslie F. Miller
Selected Exhibitions
Vanderbilt University
Smith Gallery
Invitational
Embodied: Mosaic Art International Invitational
Society of American Mosaic Artists
Nashville, Tenn
2019
Gratz College Gallery
Melrose Park, PA
2018
Media Arts Council
Media, PA
2017
Mosaic Art International
Painted Bride
Philadelphia, PA
2016
Mosaic Muse
Philadelphia's City Hall
Philadelphia, PA
2015
Fragments, Shards & Pieces
Philadelphia's City Hall
Philadelphia, PA
2015
Signatures:
15 Artists Making Their Mark in Mosaic
Falmouth, Mass.
2013
Clauiano Art Exhibition Gallery
Udine, Italy
2012
Mosaics at the Mill - a Show of Mosaic Art
Arlington, Mass
2012
Solo Exhibition: "She Paints With Glass"
Institute of Mosaic Art
Oakland, CA
2011
Main Line Art Center
Instructor Exhibition
Haverford, PA
2011
Mosaic Arts International 2011
"Beautiful Day"
Mexican and AMerican Cultural Center
Austin, Texas
In Person
Community Art Center Wallingford, PA
2011
There's Always Room for Dessert
Main Line Art Center
Haverford, PA
Tesserae: The Art of Mosaics 2010
2nd City Council Art Gallery
Long Beach, California
Art in Pieces Mystic Arts Center
"Thinking"
Selection Committee
Mystic, Conn.
Wallingford Community Art Center
Members' Exhibit
"Beautiful Day" - Mixed Media
Wallingford, PA
Second Prize
Tell-Tale Tiles & Fractured Fantasies
Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia's Magic Gardens / Isaiah Zagar
Mosaic Arts International 2009
Chicago, Ill
Smith Museum of Stained Glass at Chicago's Navy Pier
Wayne Art Center - Smith Gallery
Wayne, PA
Invited Guest Artist
Maplestone Gallery
Creemore, Ontario Canada
Contemporary Mosaic Art 2009 Ciel Gallery, North Carolina
Signaled Work Honored - Wishes
Maestro Giulio Menossi, Italy, Juror
Uncorked: The Bottled Up Emotions of Women Released through Mosaic
Bottleworks Ethnic Arts Center
Dawnmarie Zimmerman Johnstown, PA
