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Handmade Tile Association Newsletter

January 2008

Greetings!

Happy New Year to everyone! The 2008 directory will be out in only a few days.  Our planning of the MN Tile Festival has already started.  The website has been updated with the new artists and advertisers.  This should be a great year for our membership. 
 
In This Issue
2008 directories on the way
Extra resources for 2008
HTA Tag Line?
10th year planning
Submit your event
Next HTA meeting
MN Tile Festival Registration
SAMA Conference
Coverings 2008
Don't Make Me Think
Intern available
2008 Directories on there way
 
The HTA directory should be arriving in the mail to you any day now. 2505 were mailed all across the United States.  Over 600 of them were mailed to ASID members in MN. Another 100 were mailed to architects and 200 were mailed to the press both local and national. 
At our next meeting we will have directories available for you to pickup and distribute at your arts festivals, events, and drop off at your local haunts i.e. coffee shops, doctor's office, art centers etc.  If you can not make the next HTA meeting please stop by the HTA office from 11 - 5 Monday - Saturday and pick up as many as you need don't be shy. We will have 7500 waiting to find happy homes.
 
Extra Financial Resources for 2008
 
In 2008 the HTA will have a number of new financial options to consider  The HTA board is expecting to have $1000 to $2000 more to use toward the advertising or programing budget for 2008.  The questions we are asking the organization is how do we best use our extra resources.  Do we spend more on advertizing the MN Tile Festival?  Or should we start to consider advertising the HTA and what it does? 
We have contacted the Living Green Expo and are trying to obtain a booth at their show in May 3rd and 4th.  We believe this would be a quality venue to hand literature out to an engaged local audience. 
Radio advertising proved to be an effective way to get a message to a larger audience for the MN Tile Festival. We are considering having ads at other times of the year to get the public to know what a great resource the HTA is to them.  If we go down this path we will need to map out what kind of response we believe is a success and craft our ads to get our message out. If you have an opinion please send it to [email protected].  Thanks.
HTA Tag Line?
 
During the development of the 2008 directory the idea of creating a tag line that would go on the envelopes being mailed out started to brew in my mind. "Connecting people to tile and mosaic artists" "Where to find handmade tile and mosaics"   As I explored the concept I realized it was much harder to come up with than I expected.  What is it that the HTA really embodies in 8 words or less?  Are we just a tile resource? Do we talk about that we are an artist group and what it does? Do we promote the MN Tile Festival?  Do we focus on the directory or the website?  What do we say that says all that we do?  If this intrigues you please send me your tag line and I will bring all your suggestions to the next HTA meeting and post them on the next newsletter.  [email protected]
10th Year Planning
As we enter the 9th year of the Handmade Tile Association we are already planning for the 10th year.  At the last HTA board meeting discussions started on what we should do to celebrate this milestone.  A dinner, awards, a dance, a gallery show, a party?  This is an important moment that should not go unrecognized.  It was a little overwhelming to consider all the options so at the January meeting we will be asking the members to tell us what they would like to see done.  If you can not attend the meeting please e-mail your HTA board member and tell them your ideas. 
Submit Your Event To The HTA

Are you doing a special event this year?  Do you do an annual event?  If so the HTA wants to know and put it on the website calendar.  Events include gallery shows, studio sales, workshops, classes you offer and presentations.  Just send the HTA the who, what, where, when, and why in e-mail format. One picture per event can be submitted and also must be submitted by e-mail (72 dpi is all I need.)  Please send it to [email protected]
 
Next HTA Meeting January 29th

The Next HTA meeting will be January 29th at the Northern Clay Center at 6pm.  The NCC galleries are open till 6pm so come early if you want to take a peak around.   Sarah Millfelt will talk about the Northern Clay Center and its programs.

Special Guest Mary Altman, public arts administrator for the city of Minneapolis. She will discuss public art projects, how to apply for them and what tile artists need to know on how to get in on the process. This is not to be missed! Please enter on the side of the building if you can not come till after 6pm.  We will be in the library.  It will be a pot luck and winter food is always the best.  See you there.

Agenda
Distribute the 2008 Directory
Tag line entries
10th year planning talk
goals for 2008

 
We are looking for venues to have meetings for 2008 l If you would like to host a meeting please contact the HTA to set one up.  [email protected]
 
Sincerely,
 

Josh Blanc
Handmade Tile Association.LLC
MN Tile Festival 2008 Registration
tile festival ad 2008
The MN Tile Festival registration will start on January 29th at the next HTA meeting at the Northern Clay Center.  For those of you who like your outdoor space we reccomend signing up early we only have 14 spaces available and they go fast.
This year's tile festival will be September 20th.
 Click here to download the application to the MN Tile Festival .
7th Annual SAMA Conference

April 2-5, 2008
Miami, Florida

The 7th Annual SAMA Conference returns to Miami, Florida with a new name and several benefits for SAMA Members as well as anyone passionate about Mosaic Fine Art to attend the most comprehensive event of its kind!
Join hundreds of the country's leading artists, instructors and vendors for three days of exhibits, presentations, hands-on workshops, luscious materials and priceless inspiration!
To register click here

Coverings 2008

If you are planning on participating in Coverings 2008 the time is now to reserve your space.  Artist have three choices.  Avenue of the Artists around $1200.  The Tile Village $2500 and regular booth space.  For many tile artist who want to get there work in showrooms this is the premier event to do so.  Many HTA artist have done this show so please contact them to get a persective on what to expect and how to get ready for it.
Artists in the HTA who have done Coverings in the past.

North Prarie Tile
SoMi Tile Works
Mercury Mosaics
Bon Ton Designs.LLC
Clay Squared

Don't make me think
Book Review
dont make me think
For those artists looking to make a website or if you are doing an update this is an essencial book to read.   "Don't make me think" really helped me understand how people really use websites and will better organize your website so it gets used like you want people to.  The libarary has it for free or purchase it online for the best value (click the book above and it will take you to Amazon).  It is short and to the point.  No computer lingo is used. 
Intern
Hello, my name is Meghan Molenda. I have recently moved back to Minnesota and am looking to work in a place where I can learn more about the tile.
 I am an extremely hard
worker, and don't mind doing the dirty jobs (mixingclay, cleaning, etc).  I am not looking for full time work at the moment, as I would like to continue to develop my own ceramic work, but if you have any part
time positions, I would love to have the opportunity to meet with and discuss a position in person.

Thanks for your time.

Meghan Molenda
[email protected]
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