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Handmade Tile Association Newsletter

January

2010

11th Year


Greetings!

As we start the new year I find it best to set goals for what we want to accomplish.  The HTA has a lot to look forward to this year with so many new artists and members to help us achieve greater exposure to organizations artist members. 

2010 Goals

1. As always our main goal is to nurture and promote tile artisans.
2. Get the MN Tile Festival to break over 1000 patrons and become a major arts festival in the region.
3. To get the distribution of the directory in all 50 states. (this is big one and it will take many years to achieve) States where members hand out directories regularly in studios, art centers, arts festivals, etc. that we know of MN, WI, WA, MD, PA, MO, IL, MI, IA, CO, FL. CA, TX.
4. Expand the website presence to new markets through web advertising.
5. To keep creating learning opportunities for members to expand their skills, ceramic techniques and business knowledge.
6. Identify more strategic partners to expand the presence of the HTA.
7. Keep improving our organizations quality of literature, website and member communication.

We hope all of those involved with the HTA will find 2010 to be a successful year and you will keep in contact with the HTA with updates on finished projects, tile events, and opportunities that all tile artists should know about.  Happy New Year!
In This Issue
2010 Cover Chosen
HTA board hires marketing company
Art in the Home
HTA new online store
SAMA Conference registration now open
Next meeting info
Welcome new and renewing members
Featured Article
January Jobs
Website updated
Two HTA Artists gets press
Cosmic Musings
Featured Article
Mosaic and Tile Class
New directories on there way

geometric tileThe 2010 directory is in the process of being printed and shipped.  All members will receive a copy of the new directory in the coming weeks.  We are doing a bulk mailing and that process can take longer in some areas than others to receive the mailing. 
The HTA has a list of many members who want to hand out the directories and we will be getting you your requests set up as soon as they are delivered to the office.  We are looking for a volunteer to help pack up boxes to ship the directories.  If you are interested please contact the HTA by clicking here



HTA board hires marketing company

The HTA board meet on December 16th to discuss end of year business. One of the major decisions was choosing a marketing company for the MN Tile Festival.  We had three proposals and they quickly narrowed it down to two, Trebuchet and S.F Marketing.  We liked parts of each proposal but the board felt it was best to choose just one marketing company to make it simpler to communicate our ideas.  After further discussion they felt Trebuchet had more tools for our needs and choose Trebuchet communication as the HTA's first marketing company. 

Trebuchet is a company made up of four women with Lisa Trnka as the owner, Melissa Pfannenstiel, Calie Cavic, and Jenny Plott. They have great enthusiasm for the Handmade Tile Association and we look forward to working with them.

Trebuchet quickly went to work and secured us a sponsor, Spaces magazine a national magazine with local ties to the Twin Cities who is owned by the Pioneer Press.  Spaces is a free full color magazine distributed in many high end business such as Bachman's and Kowalski's.  They will be a good fit to help tell the story of the MN Tile Festival. 
Trebuchet also has developed a logo and an ad for the MN Tile Festival.  MN Tile Festival Logo and linkThe goal was to create a logo that was modern but respected tile history. They came up with a clear and simple design that will have a strong presence when grouped with other logos and in the crowds of advertising.  They developed an idea around the hexagon shape a historical tile shape.  They added the symbolism in the logo with a herringbone background pattern and the font that has a some Arts and Crafts influence.  It is very readable and will give the HTA lots of new tools and a way to build the brand of the Minnesota Tile Festival. 
Trebuchet will be coming to some of our meeting to meet the members and gather more info from artists to create tools to help us market the event. 
Art in the Home
Early in 2009 Leann E Johnson of Leaway Designs started to organize a HTA group show of the HTA as part of her 5 hours of volunteering.  She approached Bloomington Art Center and they were very receptive to the concept.  Rachel Daly Flentje the gallery directory paired the HTA with a woodworking group from Xylos Gallery.  This will be an exciting show and will have a built in audience with many events in the building.  We hope many of you can make it and bring your friends.

"Art in the Home"
Featuring the members of the Handmade Tile Association and Xylos Gallery
January 15 - March 12, 2010
Reception: January 15, 6-8pm
Artist Talk: February 25, 7pm
Bloomington Theatre and Art Center
1800 W Old Shakopee Road
Bloomington, MN 55420
www.bloomingtonartcenter.com
952-563-8587

The Opening Reception is Friday, January 15 from 6-8pm. We hope all artists can attend. Also, the "Art in the Home" Show will be in conjunction with the City of Bloomington's bi-annual Home Improvement Fair (February 20) located in the same building, the Bloomington Civic Plaza. This will be wonderful exposure for the gallery and the artists showing in it. There will also be an Artist Talk on February 25 at 7pm in the gallery. The featured artist/speaker is Josh Blanc, owner of Clay Squared to Infinity and President/Founder of the Handmade Tile Association.  We welcome all artists to join us that evening.

HTA artist participating

Art in the Home image and linkFelice Amato
Mary Jean Balwierz
Josh Blanc
Nancy Forseth
Sandre Griffin
Norma Hanlon
Leann E. Johnson
Christopher & Stacy Kelly
Deb LeAir
Roger Mayland
Catherine E. Rosengren
Linda Taylor
Sheryl Vanderpol
Kirsten Walstead


HTA new online store

HTA online store image and linkAfter 11 years the HTA is finally getting into the act of getting a web store to sell memberships and HTA history ie maps, commemorative tiles, and past directories. People will now be able to use a credit card to purchase memberships.
Click here to find out more.




Foot in the Door 4

Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program's
Foot in the Door 4
Monday, December 7, 2009

Fourth Open Exhibition Premiers

February 19, 2010, at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Minneapolis, MN. December 7, 2009-Every decade since 1980, the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP) and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) have co-hosted "Foot in the Door"-the state's largest art exhibition-showcasing thousands of works of art by artists living in Minnesota. "Foot in the Door 4" is the fourth exhibition in the series and will be on view from February 19 through June 13 in the MAEP galleries.

The "Foot in the Door" series has established itself as a marker of the diversity and enthusiasm of Minnesota's strong visual arts community. This unique exhibition introduces a wide public to all generations of artists living and working in the state of Minnesota. Anyone who considers himself or herself an artist is encouraged to submit a work of art. The only requirement for inclusion to this show is that each work of art must fit within a one-foot cube.

Registration information is available at www.artsmia.org/maep. Artwork may be dropped off on February 4, 5, 6, and 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the MAEP galleries at the MIA. Staff will measure, register, and photograph the work before it goes on display to the public in a preview evening event as part of the museum's Third Thursday program on February 18, 2010.

SAMA Conference registration now open
You can Register Now for the American Mosaic Summit 2010!
Check this page frequently for conference news and updates! Conference announcements will also appear in Andamento, SAMA's monthly e-newsletter.
American Mosaic Summit
March 17-21, 2010
Celebrating SAMA's 10th Anniversary!
9th Annual SAMA Conference
The Palmer House Hilton
Chicago, Illinois

SAMA expects more than 400+ mosaic artists to attend the conference.  SAMA's 1,200 members worldwide range from hobbyists to professionals, to business owners, to teachers and mosaic book authors. They share in common a passion for the art form combined with a serious dedication to the quality of their work.

HTA artists should consider the Vendor Marketplace if you have tiles or services that mosaic artists like to purchase. Click here for more details

Featured Presentations

The Story of Himalayan Mosaics
with Philip Holmes and Martin Cheek

Scaling the Heights-The Story of Budd Mosaics
with Oliver Budd

A Critical Discussion of Mosaic Arts International 2010

Verdiano Marzi

Next meeting info

When - January 13th

Time - 6 - 8 pm

Where
Bloomington Art Center in the McCloud conference room.
1800 W Old Shakopee Rd
Bloomington, MN 55431

www.bloomingtonartcenter.com

Pot Luck - Its winter can't wait to try all the Hot Dish!

Agenda
See the show Art in the Home at the BAC
New directories will be available.  If you know how many you want to pick up please contact the HTA so we bring enough.  A case of directories is 200.  We have 10,000 so don't be shy.
Meet Trebuchet communication our marketing group.  They want to know what you want and are thinking about for the MN Tile Festival. 
Show and tell - bring a new tile or mosaic in to show the members or photo of project you just completed.  One piece only please.
Updates on MN Tile Festival.
Info on Phipps Center Show.
Set up future meeting through out the year.
Other.

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. [email protected]

If 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
Quick Links
Welcome new and renewing members

Business Members
Pebble Tile Mosaics
Subway Ceramics



Thank you!
Thank you

In December Wendy Penta of Stone Hollow tile made the year end history book of 2009 for the HTA archives.  Last year Diana Lien created the concept and each year we now have a nice book that tells what the HTA did through out the years. 
January Jobs

Get your 5 hours in!

We will be doing a mailing of directories to art centers, members who want to distribute the directories in states all across the U.S.We need one person to come in and box and ship the directories.
 
Office work for the month of January
Getting ready for tax season.  Filing and entering in addresses to the system.

Adding press contacts to the mailing list.

Click here to tell us what you can do

Website updated
The Handmade Tile Association website has been updated with all the new artists and advertisers.  Please review your links to make sure they are correct.  Check out all the new updates and info.  Thanks for everyone for keep on improving the HTA and its mission.
HTA logo
Tile making class
 
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

Cosmic Musings
Cosmic Planet image and link
Josh Blanc is part of a group show at the Phipps Center for the Arts.

December 11 - January 17 Reception: Friday, Dec.11, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Address
109 Locust St,
Hudson, WI 54016
New coordinator for MN Tile Festival
tile festival logo
Norma Hanlon has agreed to come back and be the 2010 MN Tile Festival Coordinator!  Norma was our first coordinator for the MN Tile Festival and as Nick and Rosie have retired Norma is up for the project again. Thanks and look for the new tile festival registration form in early February. 
Mosaic and Tile Class
Sheryl Tuorila is offering three mosaic and tile making classes.

mosaic and link

Agate Landscape Weekend Workshops   
Class meets for two sessions.
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

ASI logo
 

Spaces Magazine Logo and link




Tile Heritage Foundation logo and link