From staff reports

DURHAM — Durham artist Jeannette Brossart is about to leave her mark on Charlotte.

Commissioned by developer Spectrum Properties, Brossart’s “Effervescence” is a large-scale recycled glass tile mosaic artwork that wraps around three sides of Center City Green, a 12-story, mixed-use building project in Uptown Charlotte across the street from the Time Warner Cable Arena between East 5th and East 6th streets.

Covering more than 1,500 square feet and consisting of more than 200,000 hand-cut tiles and 302 mesh-bound segments, the work is one of the largest mosaics in the Charlotte area, and newest additions to the city’s growing public art collection.

Brossart is a primarily self-taught artist whose work may be viewed at www.mothernaturemosaics.com. “Effervescence” is be her first large-scale work.

Brossart spent more than 600 hours fabricating the work.

She said the inspiration behind the mosaic was the dispersal of plant spores, which developed into an abstract concept reflecting the natural energy, liveliness and vitality of Charlotte.

Rossart’s artistic style comes from the thought, she said, that “art allows us to experience the spirit of our human senses, and individualize our conception of the world around us. [My] science background has emphasized that living things are made from tiny building blocks, and it is their precise arrangement which allows for a variety of species. I feel that the ancient art of mosaic is the perfect representation and translation of these two disciplines.”

“This project has been an incredible opportunity to see a dream born on paper, materialize through hours of carefully planned labor, and brought to completion via a cooperative vision. My hope is that ‘Effervescence’ is not only a modern example of mosaic as a viable art form, but also a lasting reminder of the vitality of Charlotte and its citizens.” said Brossart.

Brossart strives to incorporate recycled or re-purposed materials in her work as often as possible to practice conservation, as well as artistic challenge. Utilizing glass tile manufactured from recycled car windshields and bottle glass for this mosaic mural was a great opportunity for her to showcase the importance of these ideals, she said.

The building will be registered for LEED certification following its completion.

The completion of “Effervescence” will be celebrated publicly at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 11 at the East Sixth Street side of the building, which features the two largest panels of artwork.