Greetings!
The 2010 directory is closing in on its final editing stages and will be off to the printer later in December. The directory has grown by four pages to a total of 48 pages. Each year it seems to get a little bigger. Our print representative Orton Toffee who also happens to be a super member has told us we are nearing the limit in pages to have it saddle stitched but we will be fine this year. We are making a small change since our previous printer Gopher State Litho was lost due to the economy we are moving to Park Printing another local Minneapolis company. The estimated cost of the printing of 10,000 directory, 3000 envelopes, labels, stuffing, printing an insert and mailing of 3000 of the directories is expected to be $12,050. This is actually a little less than last year's costs.
Thanks to all of the members who were able to proof the directory and to all of the advertisers for getting back to Josh so quickly with changes to your proofs. It was a smooth year even with the transition to a new program CS4. But many thanks must go out to Leann Johnson for here help of transferring the old program to the new and showing Josh how to navigate CS4 to ensure its success.
Due to our successful selling out of tile festival booths and the growth of the ads in the directory the HTA is very financially sound at the end of 2009. We have about $3000 to utilize to start planning for 2010 the most ever. Every year we need to spend the extra money by the end of year to make sure we don't pay taxes on any extra funds available. Our main investments will be to hire a marketing company to continue to grow the MN Tile Festival, update the website, and buy office supplies for the beginning of the year when funds are tight.
Thanks again for all the support and for returning and joining the 2010 directory it just keeps getting better.
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2010 cover chosen
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 The vote for the cover was the closest ever with only a one vote difference between the top two choices. Thanks to the Tile Heritage Foundation for giving us the five choices for our membership to choose from. When the directory is printed we will have a nice history blurb about where and who made the tile.
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Board vote totals
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Based on the by laws of the Handmade Tile Association.llc each board member must be elected annually. For 2010 we had six nominees and all were voted in by a margin of 50% or better based on 44 members who voted from the 99 current membership. We had one other vote this year. Congratulations to the returning board members and to Christine Nelson for being added to the board. Thank all of you who were able to vote.
Here are the results.
41 Josh Blanc
36 Laura McCaul
35 Norma Hanlon
30 Roger Mayland
26 Lucy Yogerst
22 Christine Nelson
1 Leann Johnson
Total number of ballots sent 99
Total Number of members who voted 44 |
Review of a presentation to ASID
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On November 12th, Sheryl VanderPol of Untapped Resource Inc., presented
the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Lunch and Learn Meeting for their Designers and Industry
Partners at the International Market Square. During the meeting, I explained the whole
spectrum of services that we provide, including custom tiles, sinks,
and wall murals. On the 18th, I partnered to sponsor a luncheon at
Roth Distributing informing clients in the process of remodeling, the
advantages of working together with designers, kitchen experts, and
local artisans to create a home that exudes their family's personality.
I handed out the Handmade Tile Association Directories and answered
any questions we could. It was a good venue to get exposure, and
remind designers that "Art is the Heart of a Room." It is always great
to encourage others to "fire their Imagination" and look at the
possibilities in hand made tile.
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Updated Mission Statement passes
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For the first time in eleven years the HTA updated its mission statement to reflect more clearly where we are as a membership group in 2010. The main emphasis was to the change is we have gone from a regional organization to a more national one. Also by most accounts our original mission statement was pretty long. The HTA board reviewed during 2009 how they could update it and make it more concise.
Total of the vote
yes 41
- 93.1%
no 3
- 6.8%
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| American Crafts Council moving to Mpls |
The American Crafts Council (ACC) had its conference in Minneapolis in November and shortly there after announced the were moving there head quarters from NYC to Minneapolis. Although the HTA has done limited collaboration with the ACC to this point having them just down the road from the HTA office the chances for working together will be greatly increased. We welcome them and look forward to seeing what we can do together.
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Hiring a marketing company
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The HTA has always done a mix of utilizing member skills and hiring for specific skills and labor. For 2010 the HTA is interviewing marketing companies to help us market the MN Tile Festival. Josh Blanc has requested proposals from Trebuchet Communications, ESBEE Public Relations and Marketing, and S.F. Marketing. Each has a very different style and has a little different approach to help us build the audience of the MN Tile Festival. 
There are a few things we are asking for from these companies. The major issue is to help us double our current audience of 700 - 950 to 1400 to 2000 Second is to have them expand our audience to a more main stream audience that purchases art. Lastly to get the MN Tile Festival to be a more well known name and concept through out the region and nationally so we can attract more media attention. We will have all the proposals in the coming weeks and when the board meets in December they will review and discuss which group would best fit our needs and culture.
As a note we have had experience with Trebuchet Communications as they are the group that put together the NKBA meeting with the HTA presentation of "The end of white tile as we know it" (which was voted by the NKBA as the best meeting of the year and was sent in to a national competition) We have also hired them to make a logo and an ad for the MN Tile Festival to test there skills and working relationship with the HTA.
Our hiring of a marketing company will be to enhance our already strong base of artist and member marketing. The rational for this step is the MN Tile Festival has a core audience (Arts and Crafts, ceramic collectors, project people and art buyers) but we have been unable to cultivate a main stream art buying and designer audience. We want to have an outside group review our messages and have them help craft new language to draw in new crowds to generate better sales for the artists.
Our marketing for the MN Tile Festival is around $4000 - $5000 annually and this year we might have a boost with our extra funds available to start the year off. We will as always need our artists and members to be heavily involved to make sure we bring in our core audience and meet people face to face. No marketing company will ever replace our ground level grass roots artists marketing. When the board selects a marketing company we expect to have them available at meetings through out the year to listen to your concerns, ideas and your abilities to help make the marketing plan be successful.
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Next meeting info
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The HTA received many requests for meetings and we have a list started. In early January we will have a list the will map out hopefully most of the year. If you are interested in hosting a meeting please contact the HTA to set one up. By hosting a meeting you will get 5 hours of volunteer time accomplished as well. If you do not live in the Minnesota or Western Wisconsin area you can set up a meeting in your area to organize tile and mosaic artists to start marketing tile ideas as a group.
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We are looking for venues to have meetings for 2010 and 2011. If you would like to host a meeting please contact the HTA to set one up. info@handmadetileassociation.orgIf you are not in the Minnesota region consider creating a meeting of tile and mosaic artists in your area. The HTA can promote your meeting through this newsletter and on the website, Facebook, and Linked in. It is a great way to learn and promote tile ideas.
Sincerely,
Josh Blanc
Handmade Tile Association.LLC | |
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Welcome new and renewing members
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| Business Members
Barbara Schmidt
Beth Goldstein Designs
SOMI Tileworks
Kirsten Walstead
The Cottage Crafter
Friend Membership
Kristine Burton
Thank you!
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Glass tile sale
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Saturday December 5th 10 - 6pm, Sunday Dec 6th 11-5pm. 5 local artists are
displaying their works for sale at
FK Art Glass
2210 Bryant Ave N.
Come Join us to see a variety of handmade gift ideas, many for under $20 and support your artists at the same time! |
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Things that HTA needs
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| Get your 5 hours in!
Office work for the month of December
Getting ready for tax season. Filing and entering in addresses to the system.
Adding press contacts to the mailing list.
Consider doing a workshop/meeting at your studio.
Click here to tell us what you can do
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International tile competion
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IV International Ceramic Tile Triennial
Igneri Foundation is proud to announce its Fourth International Ceramic Tile Triennial or elit-tile 2009/2010. Click here for more details
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Tile making class
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Decorative tile for all skill levels with Bradley Benn
at the Edina Art Center
# 3084 Mondays 7-9pm 6 weeks starts January 11
Learn the basics of working with clay to make tile.
Demonstrations include relief, resists, and plaster
molds. Plan a project and make border or accent
tiles to personalize and combine with commercial
tile. Material for prototypes included.
No class Jan. 18 and Feb. 15
Click here to register
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Off the wall
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Off the wall
Artist Market and Exhibit
December 5th - 24th
Trade and Commerce Building
Superior Wisconsin
Open house December 5th and 6th
5 - 10 PM Live Music from 8 - 10
916 Hammond Ave
Superior, WI 54880
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Mosaic and Tile Class
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Sheryl Tuorila is offering three mosaic and tile making classes.
Agate Landscape Weekend Workshops
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Saturday, December 5th 10-4pm (break for lunch) & Sunday, December 6th noon-3pm
or
Saturday, February 6th 10-4pm (break for lunch) & Sunday, February 7th noon-3pm
Introduction To Mosaics Workshop
Mondays, November 23rd & 30th, 6-9pm
or
Mondays, January 18th & 25th, 6-9pm
Let's Make Tile! Intro to Tile Making Workshop
Carved Mosaic Tile Class Class meets for three nights.
January 4th, 6th and 11th 6-9pm
More info by clicking here
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