E-News for February 2011




Here’s What’s Below
Miracles DO Happen!
Lexington VA Bedecked Floors
Kid Serve: Public Art for Youth
“Las Tres Mujeres”
“October Monopus”
Laguna Features Clay Artists
Tile Directories from ATNW and HTA
Support CERF+
Good News for Installers!
Mike Beightol (1946-2010)
E-News Printable Version







Miracles DO Happen!
Last August was a frantic month in Cranford, New Jersey when a small group of preservationists put their heads, their time and energy, and their passion together to save a historic Flint Faience fireplace mantel from demolition. In a period of less than three weeks, from the day of discovery through the day of removal, the tiles were snatched from the jaws of oblivion—and we have a video to prove it. Please take the time and enjoy this truly remarkable achievement,
live from Roosevelt Elementary in Cranford. For the full story Read More ..


Lexington VA Bedecked Floors
Charlie Kay of
Creative Tile & Marble in Lexington, Virginia has compiled an impressive tile tour of downtown Lexington’s historic tiled floors.
When you think of Lexington, Virginia, you might think of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Cyrus McCormick, Sam Houston and George C. Marshall, Washington & Lee University and Virginia Military Institute. You might think of national historic landmarks or the majestic Natural Bridge. All play significant roles in Lexington and Rockbridge County's rich history of people and institutions, making Lexington a popular tourist destination for history buffs.
But there's a little-known history on the floors of Lexington. Take a few minutes and marvel at the historic tile wonders.


Kid Serve: Public Art for Youth
Kid Serve links public art to public school curriculum. Students create public art in their communities that integrates social values, creativity and community service. Kid Serve founder and director
Josef Norris has done commissioned murals across the United States; many of his public art projects can be found in the San Francisco Bay Area.

See “You’ve Got a Right to the Tree of Life” at Daniel Webster Elementary School at 20th & Missouri Streets in San Francisco. Also see kids at work at John Muir Elementary School in San Francisco.

High school students from Ida B. Wells High School completed “The Fell Street Mosaic Wall” between Pierce and Steiner Streets in San Francisco.









“Las Tres Mujeres”
welcomes tasters of fine wine. it is a unique tile mural installed at the entrance to Tres Mujeres, a winery in the Valle de Guadalupe, 20 km east of Ensenada in Baja California south of San Diego. According to tile maker Ivette Vaillard, who owns the winery, the mural is reminiscent of the many storytelling tiles found in old buildings in Portugal. The tiles were made with Peter King’s clay, fired at cone 5 in a propane kiln, glazed with Laguna SG 130, and painted with oxides and Mason stains mixed with Gerstley Borate. The tiles were installed on a hand-built wall made of cob clay: local earth that has naturally occurring clay, mixed with sand and straw.
Besides being a talented tile maker, Ivette Vaillard is also an accomplished winemaker who shares her cellar with two other women, hence the name “Tres Mujeres.” The mural shows three lovely women, one with a basket of flowers, as they chat and walk, hauling a barrel of wine that they themselves made and enjoyed. On the left is “One guardian angel, sweet companion, do not forsake them night or day” (Angel de la guarda dulce compania que no las desamparan ni de noche ni de dia). Each of the three women who shares Tres Mujeres cellar makes her own delicious wine. For more wine details go to: 
'Vino-Tourism' by Steve Dryden.


“October Monopus”
A mosaic octopus tentacle made a dramatic appearance at the
Vashon Island Tile Guild show last October. The exhibition was the first of its kind for the tile makers on Vashon Island, in Puget Sound, a short ferry ride from Seattle.
The astounding mosaic sculpture by island artist Nadine Edelstein (center of the picture) was accomplished together with her apprentice, Victoria BC-based Georgia Coupland, peeking out on the left, along with the "girl in the gloves," the artist’s long time, talented assistant, Kate Guinee. The title of the show was "Imagine Vashon," and Nadine had several mock-ups of various real and fictional structures on Vashon.
The mosaic tentacle was a concept piece that could potentially be featured in an entryway to a building. As octopuses tend to do, it is camouflaging itself as is the floor that it is standing upon. This is thus a sort of tattoo so the concept is a tile store called Tattoo Tile: tile for every surface. The name of the critter is “October Monopus” with October pronounced like octopus, with the accent on the first syllable. Sorry you asked?
The mosaic sculpture currently lives in Edelstein’s studio on Vashon as no one needs a 500-pound outdoor shower in the shape of a giant Pacific octopus tentacle. Nor could anyone afford it! Any leads? The artist promises to deliver the piece for a reduced fee and donate a portion of the proceeds to THF!


Laguna Features Clay Artists
Laguna Clay Company, an Industry Sponsor of Tile Heritage for the past 20 years, now provides tile artists and artisans who use their products an opportunity to have their work featured online with a link, and at no cost! With good reason Laguna is interested in how its customers use their products and equipment and the company wishes to showcase the results—your tiles!As a Featured Artist see where you’ll fit into the gallery.

Full details of Featured Artists submissions and a sign-up form are available at:
http://www.lagunaclay.com/featured-artists/submissions.php



Support CERF+

CERF+ is an essential resource for artisans! It is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization which safeguards and sustains the careers of craft artists and provides emergency resources that benefit all artists. CERF+ accomplishes its mission through direct financial and educational assistance to craft artists including emergency relief assistance, business development support, and resources and referrals on topics such as health, safety, and insurance. CERF+ develops, promotes, and maintains resources for emergency readiness and recovery that benefit all artists and also advocates, engages in research, and backs policy that supports craft artists’ careers. CERF+ is working with partner organizations to build a better safety net for artists across the United States. Click here for full details about CERF+ programs & services or visit: http://craftemergency.org/ Tile Heritage Foundation supports CERF+

Tile Directories from ATNW and HTA
Tile Directories offer Close-up Views of Local Talent - Artisan Northwest Handmade Tile Makers have produced their first directory, in full color! Inside you will find twenty local craftsmen and their works. You may download a copy at
http://www.artisantilenw.org/ATNW2010-finaldraft-4-3.pdf or request a hard copy by writing Artisan Tile Northwest, P. O. Box 84872, Seattle, WA 98124. Either way, it’s FREE!
Artisan Tile NW is a non-profit handmade tile makers group dedicated to the creation, promotion and preservation of the art and craft of handmade tile. The group sponsors a yearly show to raise public awareness about the range and diversity of artisan tiles being produced in the Northwest.


The Handmade Tile Association, headquartered in Minneapolis, has published an annual directory of tile and mosaic artists for the past 12 years, always in full color! The 2011 directory, 52 pages in length, represents 45 artists and artisans from around the United States, from whom you can commission kitchen backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, wall and floor tile for bathrooms, public art, garden sculpture, and art for almost any application. You may order your FREE copy by clicking here: 2011 HTA Directory.
The Handmade Tile Association is a diverse group of independent members and volunteers, including: handmade tile and mosaic artists, tile historians, tile setters, tile showrooms and galleries, tile organizations, material suppliers, educators, design services, and tile-related fields all across the United States.
The intent of the organization is to allow easier access to the tile artists and the resources around them to better serve the public as well as tile setters, contractors, designers, architects, community organizations and beyond.


Good News for Installers!
Good News for Tile Installers and Apprentices!
The National Tile Contractors Association
(NTCA) in alliance with the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation  (CTEF) and the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) collectively have announced 2011 Goals for the Certified Tile Installer Program. Since its inception in 2008, the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) Program has certified over 500 tile installers, a true milestone for the industry. This year’s goal will be to extend and expand the existing roster to over 1,000 certified tile installers by the end of 2011. Full details here!


Mike Beightol (1946-2010)
Michael James Beightol, 64, of Erie, Pennsylvania passed away on December 25, 2010 after a brief illness. He was born and raised in Erie, graduating from Academy High School, one of seven schools in this community designed by William B. Ittner, one of the more progressive architects in the United States during the early years of the 20th century. There is no doubt that Mike’s career in the ceramic tile industry can be linked to the historic tiles that Ittner chose to adorn his school.

Mike worked for many upscale builders before starting his own tile company, The Tile Gallery, in Erie. He introduced high-end tile, stone and glass to Erie many years before those items were commonly available. He traveled to many meetings with the Tile Council as well as taking tile classes in Chicago and Florida. His desire was to offer only the best to Erie clients. Mike is best known for being chosen to work with the original tiles that he installed at the new East High School, which was featured in the national publication, the Tile Letter. As a result of the East project, he also worked on the removal of ten antique tile water fountains that were scheduled for demolition at the old East High. Mike worked with Riley Doty, who recommended his services for this work, the largest tile preservation project in the U.S. at that time. See
“Tiles of Erie” in Tile Heritage: A Review of American Tile History for the complete story.

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