their inaugural "Freestyle'' art show at City Hall last summer, have secured an impressive new home at Dockyard.

West End Development Company (Wedco) has made a huge area that used to house the magnificent boat-building loft during Royal Navy days, available to the group.

Now, they hope to use the space as a studio that will display work in progress.

Art, for Mosaic, embraces the performing as well as the visual kind, and with a floor area of a staggering 6,000 square feet, which is already divided into a main central room with two smaller (but still enormous) wooden-floored rooms on either side, it is hoped that painting, sculpture, photography and craft-work can progress alongside dancing and theatre classes. There is another bonus in the many large windows that will provide plenty of natural light.

Spokeswoman Ms Sundee Whitehead says the group is thrilled by Wedco's gesture.

"One of their aims is to promote Dockyard as a vibrant cultural centre and they have been very supportive in helping us establish this space as a place where tourists and locals will be able to come and watch artists as they work.

We are very grateful for all the help we have received and we're very excited about this project,'' says Ms Whitehead.

Now the more than 70-strong group is appealing for help in getting The Loft, as they have christened the studio, on its feet. They are hoping for some financial support from individuals and corporations, and are asking that offices or schools that may have any spare items such as art equipment, tables, chairs or lockers, to contact them before disposing of any such items.

"Every little helps,'' explains Ms Whitehead.

The last couple of weeks have seen enthusiastic bands of workers tackling the far from pristine state of the old building.

"We've been doing a massive clean-up, clearing away old timber and cleaning the floors,'' she says.

Although the group insists that there is no age limit for membership, most of the present members are young, many of them graduates who have just returned from colleges and universities overseas.

It is hoped that the new centre will provide working areas which may be rented at a reasonable rate for those who are anxious to follow full-time careers in art. Others will want to take advantage of the space to work in their spare time in the evenings and at weekends.

The aim of Mosaic is to extend its original plan of staging exhibitions to enter fully into the field of community education.

Their first major fundraiser takes place at the end of the month when Mosaic plans an evening of Mardi Gras Madness, a "masquerade'' that provides live music by band Triad and double bass player Clarence Burrows, performance art, specially priced drinks, funky fashions and prizes for the best costume. Venue and date is still to be announced.

There are also plans for their first travelling art show, which will open in the Bermuda Society of Art's gallery at City Hall in Hamilton and then move on to Dockyard.

Overheads for these efforts will be met by an impressive schedule of fundraising events, such as an Art Bake Sale, life-study classes, art auctions and car washes. Ms Whitehead says it is hoped that the type of fundraising planned by the group will also help to raise public awareness and the aims of Mosaic.

Member Daniel Dempster who plans to pursue painting and sculpting at The Loft, says the new space should be invaluable in providing people with an opportunity of working outside the often cramped conditions of home.

"The space is large enough that no matter what people come up with, it will find its own level.'' Members also believe that those fledgling artists who lack the physical or financial resources or personal confidence to "go it alone'' will welcome the chance to become a part of a joint project where everyone works together.

Jill Bascome, who is especially interested in the performing arts aspect of the project, says there are plans to hold classes, not only in ballet, jazz and modern dance, but also in ethnic work, such as gombey-dancing and Portuguese folk dance.

"Eventually,'' she says, "we would like to see plays and dance performed as theatre-on-the-green, outside, and one day we could even do performance opera.'' Photographer Tamell Simons says there are plans for a studio at The Loft. "We have some very promising and established photographers who will be on hand to offer advice on various aspects, such as landscape, architectural, portraiture, stills and journalistic pictures. We're also hoping to arrange field-trips by day and also in the evenings, to study night photography.'' In an effort to preserve old crafts such as cedar sculpture, the group hopes that besides classes from established painters, there will also be classes from master-craftsmen.

Ms Whitehead emphasises that many of the group's members are still away or will be returning shortly.

"We have a lot to do, to get The Loft in working order. But we don't want them to feel left out, so I would urge anyone who has just returned, to get in touch right away. We're also looking for lots of new members!'' Anyone interested in joining Mosaic is asked to call 235-1149 after 6 p.m.

LOFTY ARTISTS -- Members of Bermuda's latest art group, Mosaic, plan for an exciting future in the spacious surroundings of The Loft, recently loaned to them by Wedco for use as an arts-in-progress studio.