Outdoor

Gila Mosaics Studio

Pensacola, FL

"Cut and arranged with passion and spontaneity, I strive to create texture & movement; something you want to reach out and touch!"

Gila Rayberg has received numerous awards for her expressive and whimsical portraits. In the summer of 2018, Gila was one of 9 mosaic artists from 7 countries, invited to create a mosaic work for a proposed Museum of Contemporary Mosaics Art to be housed in a renovated ex-convent in Ploaghe Sardinia Italy. Gila travels extensively around the US & internationally giving workshops, specializing in portraits and the up-cycling of dishes. Her work has been published in a number of art books.

Gila arrived at the visual arts after a successful career as a freelance musician and educator. Allowing her strong sense of intuition and love of experimentation to guide her, Gila has developed a unique voice in the realm of mosaic portraiture.

After earning her master's degree in music from Arizona State University (1989), Gila moved to San Francisco and quickly became involved with a community of improvisational musicians, composers and artists.

Pursuing her love of travel, Gila found herself performing & teaching instrumental music at a newly established University in Borneo, East Malaysia. From there, she traveled extensively throughout South East Asia, Hong Kong, China, India, Israel & Egypt, collecting art, textiles, and musical instruments, representative of local cultures. With each excursion, Gila became increasingly fascinated by the indigenous art which surrounded her.

On her return to the United States, Gila landed in New Orleans, spending her first year practicing jazz standards on the street for tips. She then joined the horn section of Deacon John & the Ivories which kept her gigging steadily until hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. At that point, Gila turned her focus to creating mosaic art full time.