Now we're cookin' with gas!
Xar, I like your first concept. Good layout and use of color.
I agree that the second one's not so good since it covers up part of the mosaic.
thomj76, those look good. My only thought is that the image itself is a bit small. It's hard to make out the individual pics at all. I really think the mosaic should be the main focus of the ad, with just enough text to make it clear who the picture represents.
As for the part about cutting out the "more than a thousand" in my prototype, you guys are absolutely right. I'll rework it and post something up later today.