The story of Laura DiNello is as layered as the mosaic masterpieces that she's known for.

The self-taught Italian-American artist grew up in Chicago in a culture that frowned upon visual art as a valid profession, especially for women.

Most family and friends saw DiNello's drawings and paintings as a cute hobby. When she announced that she was moving to Savannah to be an artist at 21, "they laughed," she says bluntly. "My friends envisioned me making sauce and having kids. Art didn't really play into that."

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