Lemieux captured in mosaic at Consol Energy Center

By Rob Rossi, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Wednesday, October 6, 2010


Mario Lemieux is enjoying a second NHL act as majority co-owner of the Penguins.

His charitable foundation could benefit from a second act for the "Mario Mosaic" project.

Mario Lemieux stands next to a mosaic that was unveiled during a ceremony on Tuesday at the Consol Energy Center. The Mario Lemieux Foundation and the Pittsburgh Penguins unveiled the "Mario Mosaic," a unique 20-foot-by-18-foot tribute to the career of Penguins hockey legend and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux, featuring over 10,000 images of Penguins fans and cancer survivors.

Justin Merriman/Tribune-Review

The first mosaic, unveiled Tuesday inside the Trib Total Media gate at Consol Energy Center, is a collection of more than 10,000 photos from cancer survivors and fans of Lemieux and the Penguins.

Those photos cost $66 in the form of donations to the Mario Lemieux Foundation, which funds cancer research and the Austin's Playroom project for regional hospitals. Over $200,000 was raised by the project, according to Mario Lemieux Foundation president Tom Grealish.

"We knew it would be successful, but in this economy, you never know how successful," Grealish said, recognizing the mosaic's connection to Lemieux's fans and their years of support to the foundation. "It just shows Pittsburgh's unlimited capacity to give."

A mosaic, according to dictionary.com, is "a picture or decoration made of small, usually colored pieces of inlaid stone, glass, etc." This one stands 20 feet by 18 feet and is comprised of photos that appear from a distance to show Lemieux in various stages of his career as Penguins player and owner.

The frame includes 1,900 photos of construction workers and contractors that helped build the new arena, which will pay host to its first regular-season NHL game Thursday night. The mosaic can be elevated by a mechanical device for viewing from the lower or upper concourse.


Philadelphia-based Picture Mosaics designed the "Mario Mosaic," and Kansas City's Dimensional Innovations built its in-arena structure.

Lemieux, who turned 45 yesterday and attended the ceremony with wife, Nathalie, declined comment.

"We wanted to be visible in the new arena," said Lemieux Foundation marketing director Drew Parish, "but not in a way for donations — just to raise awareness, to show what the foundation is doing."

The organization is considering another mosaic due to the original's popularity. Parish said the current design can incorporate 10,000 additional images.

"The response has been overwhelming," he said. "So, a second one, maybe with new images of Mario, is possible."

Click on link below to see video of unveiling:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_702861.html