Raise the flag for THF! For the first time, four directors of the Tile Heritage Foundation will be attending Coverings in Orlando, Florida: Donna Billick, Riley Doty, Sheila Menzies and Joe Taylor. Tile Heritage serves as a co-sponsor of this tile and stone exposition, the largest and most important of its kind in the U.S., once again at the invitation of the Tile Council of North America.

All Tile Heritage members are encouraged to attend! Register at www.coverings.com by clicking on the registration icon at the left of the screen. On the second page of the registration, ignore the request for a 6-digit code from a magazine or invitation unless you have one. You can still continue to register without a problem. And where will you find us? Under the flags in the North American Pavilion. Please stop by and say hello!

During the Coverings convention, at 3:30 on Thursday afternoon, Joe Taylor will be presenting a slide lecture on California tile history. It is timely as it embraces the release of the 500-page, two-volume set of books, California Tile: The Golden Era 1910-1940, which will be offered for sale at the THF booth. This extremely appropriate collection of writings and superb photography, published by Schiffer for the California Heritage Museum, was written in part and meticulously edited by Joe Taylor. Click here to order the books now!

The Tile Heritage Foundation has been honored to serve on the board of directors of Tile Partners for Humanity (TPFH), and Sheila Menzies, co-founder of THF, has appreciatively accepted the position. TPFH is a partnership between the tile industry and Habitat for Humanity (HFH), an international non-profit working to eliminate sub-standard housing. TPFH works within the tile industry to raise awareness of HFH and to encourage industry members to donate tile, installation materials, tools, cleaners and sealers, labor and installation training to Habitat projects around the country. This is no small commitment! TPFH has pledged, on behalf of the tile industry, $1,250,000 worth of materials and labor over five years, and the group is currently on track to exceed this pledge. Please take a minute and visit www.tpfh.com to view individual partner pages, project pages, or to pledge your support! If you are attending Coverings, make plans to attend the TPFH session on Wednesday, March 24, at 9 a.m.

The Handmade Tile Association (HTA) in Minneapolis has recently published The Upper Midwest's Tile Directory 2004, a guide to handmade tile makers and tile resources in the region. This 32-page, full-color booklet represents 32 artists featuring tile, glass, mosaic artists, and sculptors with tile. Now in its fifth edition the directory provides the choices and information needed to make quality decisions with professional advice. For a free copy of the directory write to Handmade Tile Association, 34 Thirteenth Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413, call 612 781-6409 or e-mail josh@claysquared.com.

A reminder: Opus Veritas: Fragments of Truth, a juried mosaic exhibition presented by Museo Italo Americano at Fort Mason on San Francisco Bay, showcases some of the finest and most innovative mosaic artwork by both U.S. and international mosaicists. The exhibition will remain open through April 6, 2004.