ABOUT MAVERICK MOSAICS

Bonnie Fitzgerald is an artist, author, and educator dedicated to making mosaic art accessible, inspiring, and engaging. For more than two decades, she has shared her expertise with hundreds of students—guiding beginners through their first projects and helping experienced artists expand their creative vision. She leads international workshops and immersive travel adventures that combine art, culture, and hands-on learning. She is the founder and owner of Maverick Mosaics and has served as the exclusive instructor of Contemporary Mosaics for the Smithsonian Institution Studio Arts Department since 2014.

Mosaic art first captured Bonnie’s imagination more than 30 years ago. While studying monumental sculpture in college, a professor introduced architectural glass mosaics into the curriculum, opening a world she had never encountered. Her first commission followed soon after, completed as an undergraduate at New College in Sarasota, Florida.

Life took an unexpected turn, and Bonnie spent nearly two decades working in animation and variety television. Yet mosaics resurfaced in the late 1990s, drawing her back with renewed purpose. In art therapy, mosaics are often associated with healing—the act of fitting broken pieces together to create something whole and reimagined. That philosophy resonated deeply and inspired her commitment to building and nurturing a vibrant mosaic community.

What began as children’s classes in her garage quickly expanded when parents asked to join. In 2007, she opened Maverick Mosaics Art School and Studio. Within three years, more than 1,500 students had passed through its doors. She also invited internationally respected mosaic artists to teach workshops, refining her own skills alongside masters of the craft.

Sustaining a public studio required creativity and determination. Large-scale commissions and public art projects supported the space, while community installations—often created with groups of young students—advanced her belief that the future of mosaic in America depends on actively engaging the next generation. The Maverick Legacy Program remains one of her proudest achievements.

When the demands of maintaining a commercial property became overwhelming, new doors opened. Bonnie was invited to teach Contemporary Mosaics for the Smithsonian Institution Studio Arts Department in Washington, DC, and international teaching opportunities soon followed. For more than a decade, she has led workshops and art-focused travel programs in Mexico and across Europe.

When the pandemic paused in-person learning, she quickly pivoted to dynamic online instruction. Smithsonian streaming courses reached enthusiastic audiences, overseas teaching resumed after only a brief interruption, and she developed Make It Mosaics art kits along with an extensive library of instructional videos—continuing to expand access to the art form she loves.