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<BR>(Available each month to Tile Heritage members who e-mail the Foundation from the address they 

would like <BR>E-News sent to. Contact: <A HREF= mailto:foundation@tileheritage.org.>foundation@tileheritage.org</A>)

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<H3><font color="#393C6C" face="comic sans ms">Here’s What’s Below:</font color></H3>

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<A HREF="#Mystery">Mystery Tile</A>

             <BR> <BR>


<A HREF="#Bus">Last Chance for the Bus!</A>

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<A HREF="#Clay">Clay in the Classroom</A>

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<A HREF="#Project">The Tile Project</A>

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<A HREF="#Richmond">Jazzing Up Richmond</A>

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<A HREF="#Ellis">Ellis Wins Prize </A>


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<A HREF="#Watts">Watts Towers</A>

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<A HREF="#Historic">Historic Tiles in Print</A>

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<A HREF="#Gardiner">Gardiner’s Biscotti</A>

             
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<A Name="Bus">

<P> 

 <BR>

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<BR><BR>	

 
	<BR><BR>

 
<H3>Last Chance to <font color="#BC41C7">Get on the Bus!</font color> </H3>

 <P>

At this moment there are <B>two seats left</B> on the bus! If you would like to 

join us in Ohio, October 15-19, email 

<A HREF=mailto:foundation@tileheritage.org>foundation@tileheritage.org</A>. Travel with 

us to the studios of <B>Artfind Tile</B> and through the factories at <B>Beldon 

Brick, Epro, Kepcor</B>, the <B>Meredith Collection</B>  and <B>Metropolitan Ceramics, 

Seneca Tiles, Summitville Tiles</B>, and <B>Superior Clay</B>, witnessing the 

production of a vast variety of clay products: from decorative and quarry tiles, 

to bricks of every description, culminating with architectural terra cotta and 

ornate chimney pots! This is <B>a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity</B>  to get 

inside and see firsthand how clay products are actually made. You will come 

away enriched by the breadth of your knowledge and charged with an enhanced 

appreciation for those who work in the world of clay every day. 

  
<P> <BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

<A Name="Clay">

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<H3>Clay <font color="#BC41C7">in the Classroom</font color></H3>

  <P>

The Tile Heritage Foundation has developed <B>a link to resources for teachers</B>  

who are already involved with clay in the classroom and for those who wish to bring 

a clay program to their classroom. This includes teachers of ‘kids’ of all ages: 

preschool, K-12, college and adult education.  <B>It will activate soon! </B>

 
<P><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

<A Name="Project">

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<H3><center>The <font color="#BC41C7">Tile Project</font color></center></H3>


<P>

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  <BR>

<B>The Tile Project: Destination, the World</B>, a creation of <B>TransCultural Exchange</B>  

in Boston, currently involves 22 sites + 40 countries + the tiles of 100 artists and 1000 

students all with a goal: <B>to unite the world through innovative art</B>. Begun in 2004, 

the program selected the diverse, international artists, each of whom created 22 tiles, 

one for each of the 22 selected sites. An educational program involving school children 

and university students making tiles on paper paralleled the ceramic installation project.

  
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<P>

Reaching out to and beyond the art world’s hot spots, the project touches nearly every 

corner of the globe, from Berlin to New York, Sarajevo to Seoul and 18 other points 

throughout the world, allowing local artists to design unique installations that incorporate 

the donated tiles and are sensitive to their site’s context, resulting in remarkably strong 

symbols of global cooperation and artistic innovation.

  
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<P>

Cultural understanding, tolerance and respect of others’ differences are promoted through email 

“pen pals” and parallel collaborative projects between K-12 schools and university students 

around the globe, turning strangers into neighbors. 

 
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 <P>

As the cultural historian Mira Bartok noted, “The great modern architect Stanley Tigerman 

once said that to him, <B>tiles are both democratic and accessible. They are the essence 

of what public art has the potential to be—an art form that can be found anywhere in the 

world by anyone, no matter one’s class, race, age or gender; with a purpose and beauty 

transcending all differences between all people… 


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a tile is a measurable unit of our humanity; 

it is one of many</B>. Since their origin… tiles have served not only a practical function 

but they have also been one of the most enduring markers of cultural history.”

  
<P>

<B>TransCultural Exchange</B>  is an award-winning, 501(c)3, nonprofit dedicated to 

fostering a greater understanding of world cultures through high quality exhibitions, 

artists exchanges and related educational programming. 

Visit <A HREF="http://www.transculturalexchange.org">www.transculturalexchange.org</A>. 

To view the tiles selected for <B>The Tile Project</B>, 

click <A HREF="http://www.transculturalexchange.org/tileproject/artistpages/index.htm">

www.transculturalexchange.org</A>

 
<P><BR><BR><BR><BR>

<A Name="Richmond">

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<H3>Jazzing Up <font color="#BC41C7">Richmond!</font color> </H3>

  <P>

<B>Bob Wilson</B> of <B>Wilson Custom Design Tile</B>  in Omaha: “I wanted to send you some 

photos of the project we are currently working on. It's a project we will be installing for 

a Sept 8 opening in <B>Richmond, Indiana</B>. The medallions are 3 feet across, half bronze 

half ceramic. Louis Armstrong is finished the rest are now cooling in the kiln.”

  
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<P>

Unknown by many people, the town of Richmond, located on the states’ border halfway between 

Columbus and Indianapolis, played <B>a significant role in the history of American jazz</B>. 

It was the headquarters of <B>Gennett Records</B>, credited with the birth of recorded jazz. 

Its parent company was the <B>Starr Piano Company</B>. Louis Armstrong was an early jazz 

singer to record at the studios. Sadly, there are little physical remains of the original 

studios, 

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 but the <B>Starr-Gennett Foundation</B>  is dedicated to preserving and promoting 

the legacy of the two companies, their contributions and place in the music world.

  
<P>

On September 8, 2007, the foundation plans to install ten commemorative medallions in the 

sidewalk across from the old studios. This could be likened to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

The first ten medallions will include: Louis Armstrong, Gene Autry, Bix Beiderbecke, 

“Big Bill” Broonzy, Hoagy Carmichael, Vernon Dalhart, Georgia Tom (Thomas A. Dorsey), 

“Jelly Roll” Morton, Joe “King” Oliver, and Lawrence Welk, who made his first recordings 

at the Gennett Studio.

 
<P><BR><BR><BR><BR>

<A Name="Ellis">

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<H3>Ellis Wins <font color="#BC41C7">Tile Heritage Prize</font color></H3>

  <P>

<B>Melody Ellis</B>  of Edwardsville, Illinois won the <B>Tile Heritage Prize</B> at Feats of Clay XX, 

the annual exhibition presented by <B>Lincoln Arts</B>  in Lincoln, California. The juror, 

<B>Sherman Hall</B>, editor of Ceramics Monthly, chose the Ellis tile, <B> “Mr. Punch and His Dog,” </B> 

as the work that best reflects the ceramic traditions in America. 

  
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<P>

According to the artist: <B> “I create figurative earthenware “toys” and tile mosaics with richly 

colored and patterned surfaces</B>. Posture, expression and the potential for movement in my sculptures 

are used to convey the humor and sadness of the human condition. These pieces are inspired in part 

by 19th century dolls, automata, and wheeled or balancing toys. I have adopted the movements and 

intricacies of these objects and, I hope, their innate sense of joy, mystery, or menace.

  <P>

<B> “My tilework reflects a study of historical narrative art forms such as Italian majolica 

and medieval stained glass</B>. I would like to lure the viewer into a curious world of spectacle. 

An abiding interest in puppet theater, sideshow, and morality tales feeds this endeavor. The 

unchanging state of humanity through the ages, and our complex relationship with the world around us, 

inspires my work in the primal and tactile material of clay.”

 <I>

<P>Now on a certain day it so fell out

 <P>Punch gave Toby such a fearful clout

 <P>that Toby in a rage seized Punch's nose

 <P>Punch was not pleased, we may suppose

</I>

 <P> “This text is taken from one of many different written versions of the old, old puppet show 

‘Punch and Judy.’ I just love the story and have been collecting material on it for a couple of years.”

 
 <P>See <A HREF="http://www.melodyellisceramics.com">www.melodyellisceramics.com</A>

 
<P><BR><BR><BR><BR>

<A Name="Watts">

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<BR><BR>

<H3> “I Build <font color="#BC41C7">the Tower</font color>” </H3>

 <P>

Here’s something new! A feature-length documentary about the life and work of <B>Simon (Sam) Rodia</B>  

and the <B>Watts Towers</B>  of South Central Los Angeles has recently become available on DVD produced 

by filmmaker Ed Landler and Brad Byer, Rodia’s great-nephew.


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 <P>

A jewel of a film, <B> “I Build the Tower,” is magnificent to watch! </B> This is the true story of 

<B>Sam Rodia</B>, the Italian immigrant who built the world-famous <B>Watts Towers</B>  on a small 

residential lot in South Central Los Angeles over roughly 30 years beginning in the 1920s. 

<B>Watts Towers</B>, designated as a <B>National Historic Landmark</B>  in 1990, are now a component 

site of the California State Parks, managed by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

 
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<P>

It is quite wonderful that the filmmakers were able to procure so much <B>old film footage portraying 

Sam at work on his grand enterprise</B>  and to have conducted so many meaningful interviews with people 

who knew him in the neighborhoods where Sam spent most of his life in both northern and southern California.

 
<P>

As an added bonus the DVD features a complete <B>40-minute interview of R. Buckminster Fuller</B>, 

excerpts of which appear in <B> “I Build the Tower.” </B> In this, his last interview filmed three 

months before his death in July 1983, Mr. Fuller provides an analysis of <B>Rodia’s artistic and 

engineering genius</B>  and its significance in art history and the world. 

 <P>

<B>Owning this film is a ‘must’ for all</B>  who appreciate the significance of preserving the 

engineering feat represented by the Watts Towers as well as those who love and cherish the art, tile, 

mosaic and the whimsy found there. Kudos to the filmmakers!

 <P>

To purchase a copy of the DVD visit: <A HREF="http://www.ibuildthetower.com">www.ibuildthetower.com</A>

 
<P><BR><BR><BR><BR>

<A Name="Historic">


<BR><BR>

<H3>Historic Tiles <font color="#BC41C7">In Print</font color></H3>

 <P>

<B>Van Briggle tiles</B>  from Colorado Springs have been featured in two recent issues of the 

<B>Journal of the American Art Pottery Association</B>. Richard D. Mohr, a noted tile historian, 

author, and Professor of Philosophy and of the Classics at the University of Illinois – Urbana, 

has carried on his research of the famous Van Briggle Pottery for many years, 

<IMG SRC="VanBriggle-9-07.jpg" align=left vspace=15 hspace=15>


culminating in an 

extensive presentation focusing exclusively on the pottery’s tile production. Almost entirely in 

full color with exhaustive endnotes, the two articles, <B> “Van Briggle Tiles: Their Art, Craft, 

and Commerce,” </B>  Parts I and II, trace the history of production from 1907 to 1918, offering 

provocative design comparisons and rarely seen examples.

 
 <P>

The Journal issues, Vol. 23, No. 2 (March/April 2007) and Vol. 23, No. 3 (May/June 2007), are available 

for $8.50 each plus $2.75 for shipping and handling or $19.75 total. Make checks payable to <B>AAPA</B>  

and send to: American Art Pottery Association, 1004 18th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34205.

 
 <P>

Coincidentally, the <B>Van Briggle Pottery is now producing a line of decorative tiles</B> inspired 

by the originals along with field and trim tiles to accompany them. 

Visit <A HREF="http://www.vanbriggle.com">www.vanbriggle.com</A> for details.

 
<IMG SRC="Hartford-9-07.jpg" align=right vspace=15 hspace=15>

 <P>

<B>Friends of Terra Cotta</B>  has recently included in its quarterly mailings an article, <B> 

“Hartford Faience Company,” </B>  by Susan Montgomery. The company was founded in 1894 by <B>Eugene Atwood</B>,

 the former partner of <B>William H. Grueby</B>, as Atwood Faience, changing its name in 1900 as part 

of a reorganization. Faience tiles became a major focus of producton in 1908 when <B>Francis Plant</B>  

arrived from England, resulting in a renewed aesthetic and a broader distribution of its products. 

Author Susan Montgomery, an independent scholar of decorative arts, wrote <B>The Ceramics of 

William H. Grueby: The Spirit of the New Idea in Artistic Handicraft</B>  (1993). Extensively 

illustrated with black and white images and complemented by endnotes, the Hartford Faience article 

is available by sending $5 to Friends of Terra Cotta, c/o Tunick, 771 West End Ave. #10E, New York, NY 10025. 

 
<P><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

<A Name="Gardiner">

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<BR><BR>

<H3><font color="#BC41C7">Anise Lemon Biscotti</font color></H3>

	 <P>

<B>From Joan Gardiner, Unison Pottery & Tile Works</B>

 <P>

2 cups white flour

<BR>1tsp baking powder

<BR>¼ tsp salt

<BR>1 cup sugar

<BR>2 whole eggs

<BR>1 egg white

<BR>2 tbls fresh grated lemon peel

<BR>1 tbls ground anise seeds

 
 <P>

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or cooking spray a baking sheet. Sift first four ingredients together. 

Beat together the eggs and egg white, then add to flour mixture. Stir in lemon peel and anise seeds. 

Mix until just smooth. The dough will be quite wet. Use a rubber spatula and floured hands to scoop 

half the dough onto one side of the baking sheet. Shape into a fifteen inch log. Do the same with the 

other half, making sure that there are about six inches between the logs. Bake 25 to 30 minutes making 

sure that the top of the log is firm. Remove logs from the sheet onto a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Cut on a sharp diagonal across the log into ½ inch slices. Place the cut sides onto the baking sheet. 

Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove to cooling rack. The cookies will harden as they cool.


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