Greetings!
The Minnesota Tile Festival registration has started. This is the 11th year of the event. It is moving back to the American Swedish Institutewith the new addition of the Nelson Cultural Center. The big news is this will be the first year that the entire show will take place outside on the lawn of their new space. From an organizational stand point this is great; everyone will be in one square area there will not be long hallways or a downstairs to try to direct traffic it is all about getting people to the American Swedish Institute.
 | Drawing of the American Swedish Institute Nelson Cultural Center |
The tile festival is FREE for visitors for the second year in a row. Visitors will be able to get into the Nelson Cultural Center and eat at the restaurant and check out the new space, attend lectures and the tile festival. The original building will cost visitors to enter.
The new building is slated to open in June and we are expecting the new building will have lots of buzz for months to come and the tile festival will be a great extra excuse to visit the new space and to see tile artists, tile lectures and workshops. Minnesota Tile Festival Postcards will be available for distribution by the end of April.Early Registration before April 30th will save you 10% off booth fees.
It will be an exciting year and we are looking forward to all of the new opportunities and seeing the new and amazing tiles showcased at the event.
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New credit card concept for artists |
 The newest tool for artist to make money has got to be the invention of the Square. This is a must have for any artists wishing to take credit cards and save on the cost of processing fees and equipment. Actually created for artists by the inventor of Twitter Jack Dorsey. As the story goes his friend an artist was explaining to him the challenges and costs that traditional credit card companies present he was able to develop this tiny insert credit card swiper that goes into your smart phone or I Pad and allows you to take any credit card for one low swipe fee of 2.75% per swipe for all cards. the device the Square is FREE! This is a major advancement for all small businesses. A traditional credit card machine forces its users to either purchase for hundreds or thousands of dollars or lease a credit card terminal for $60 to $200 a month depending on the services you want. Plus swipe fee starting at around 1.5% going up to almost 5% for some all these expenses can add up to be thousands to tens of thousands of dollars a year. The new Square is portable and can be used anywhere there is a internet or WiFi connection. If you own an I Pad you can create a store where you can put in your items as a photo and just use the touch screen to track inventory of the sales each time someone purchases an item. Patrons just sign with their finger or a stylist pen tool and they can get an automatic e-mail receipt. It is a slick concept. So far we have not heard of any security issues and they continue to improve the product and services. Click here to read more about Square and see if it would be helpful to your business. |
Juried Tile Show Opportunity
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The Silver City Clay Festival Juried Art Tile Show Entry Due April 30th Show will be August 3 - September 3, 2012
Come to historic and friendly Silver City, NM, for the first annual celebration of New Mexico clay. The Silver City Clay Festival will showcase tile, pottery, and adobe. There will be three days of workshops, demonstrations, sales, and exhibits of clay art of all kinds; child-friendly activities, lectures, tours, and films; receptions, dances, and galas.
CLICK here for the Juried Art Tile Show Prospectus!
DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2012
Juror: Alfredo Ratinoff
Fees: $20 for 1 entry; $25 for 2 entries; $30 for 3 entries.
| Awards: Best of Show $1000.00 Second Place $750.00 Third Place $500.00 Tile Heritage Prize $200.00 Blue Dome* Purchase Prize $300.00 |
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February meeting overview
| At In Plain Site Tile
Attendance at the last meeting Amy Baur and Brian BoldonMercedes Austin, Alex Chinn, Sheryl VanDerPol, Jan Hohn, Josh Blanc
Speaker Mary Altman
 | Brian, Mary Altman, Mercedes, Amy, Jan |
The snowstorm that rolled in the night of the meeting cut our attendance way down for the meeting. But those who made the trek it was an awesome tour and presentation. Amy and Brian gave us an impressive tour of their space and operation. Most of the work they do is public art all over the country. Large scale photographic images embedded tile and fused glass. Brian is the clay glaze master of the operation making a huge array of clay bodies and glazes for each application they invent. Amy's vast collection of photos she takes at each location they do a public art piece including history and text .
 | Amy Baur Photos on tile |
She loves objects she say are "in plain sight" hence the name objects like chairs, locks, buildings, bridges, walls, etc. She collages these images together and they print them on to special transfer paper with ceramic glaze and fuse them in tiles. You can see the finished projects at their website. www.inplainsightart.com We invited Mary Altman who is the Public Arts Administrator for the City of Minneapolis. She discussed the process of how and what she does for artists and what they need to do to apply and get better at their presentations. She said most states, public colleges and different groups have registries where artists submit their images for potential groups to seek you out. In MN there is a Minnesota Arts board and the University have registry that she recommended. There are two different types of requests that cities, states, schools and businesses request from artists. RFQ request for qualifications. RFP request for proposals. Quality images are the most important thing when applying. Mary said that is what all groups look for first then they go to your written material. If you have unprofessional photos you could be nixed before you even get a chance to be fully viewed. Thread in your work and your voice, showing in context, details are good too.
 | In Plain Sight Art public art installation |
The three things the groups care about aesthetics, pragmatic issue- durability and time and community issues. Writing focus on how you work. Don't say it is virtually maintenance free. Makes you look amateur. Maintenance is part of it just know how to care for it. When you go to a panel. Each is different. Some are loose some are regimented. Personalities can play a part. At the presentation don't over talk. Stay standing up. Body language is important. When meeting with the panel bring things to touch. Power point are sequential and cand cause problems. Board presentation allows people to see many images at once it is more linear for the viewers to follow along and review as you talk. When trying to break into the public art world Mary suggested work on a team. Budgets are smaller so big names are going for smaller projects.
Mary said tile is a great material so get yourselves out there and see what can happen. You can sign up to get Mary Altman's e mails of public art project opportunities she sends out twice a week. They are for all over the country and any artist can apply. Mary.Altman@minneapolismn.gov
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Is there an interest in Pinterest?
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It would seem so. Pinterest has grown by 2400% since it's creation in 2009. Its audience is primarily female---over 70%... prompting a possible male site called mantertaining...(coming soon?)
What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is a pinboard-styled social photo sharing website. The service allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections. The site's mission statement is to "connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting
In December 2011, the site entered the top 10 social networks, with 11 million total visits per week. The next month, it drove more referral traffic to retailers than LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+
Users of Pinterest create themed image boards, populating them with media found online using the "Pin It" button, or uploaded from their computer. Each such item of media is known as a "pin", and can be a picture, a video, a discussion, or a monetary gift. Pins can be grouped into "boards", which are sets of pins created on a given topic.
To register for Pinterest, new users must receive an invitation from a friend already registered on Pinterest or request an invitation directly from the Pinterest website. The registration process currently requires users to link their Pinterest account to their Facebook or Twitter account.
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Events, shows, new products, art, classes etc!
| We are looking for more events to post. Please send us your classes and workshops, and gallery shows.
Four times a week the HTA does a Facebook post on the Handmade Tile Association page. We are looking for , members and advertisers who have events or anything they want to publicize, they can send all the info to josh@handmadetileassociation.org
The same thing goes for artists chosen for the HTA "Artist of the Month" spotlight. If they connect with me early, I can integrate more of their work and interests in the press release.
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Handmade Tile Association Meeting
March 27
Handmade tile setting discussion with tile setters with 5 star tile setter Jan Hohn of Hohn & Hohn Where 1190 Summit Ave
St. Paul, MN 55105 651-224-8877
Jan Hohn of Hohn & Hohn will lead with demos and tile setters on what they see in the field and how tile artists and tile setters can work together to help each other improve their work and help get happy customers and quality tile installation.
Pot Luck Please bring warm yummies! Time - 6- 8pm 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 |
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Quick Links check out all the new info
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Welcome New and Renewing Membership
| | Business Members Ceramic Chinn Falling Leaves Pottery Susan Palmieri Terra Fina Clay Studio Christine Emmick
Thanks to Deb LeAir for all her help mailing directories to all of the members
 | Deb LeAir mailing directories |
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Moravian Tile Festival Registration Starts
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| The 14th annual Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in Doylestown, PA is inviting tile artists off all disciplines to purchase a booth. a 10'x 10' spacis $175 you can get a double booth for $345. 6' tables are available for $10 each. If interested contact Vance Koehler at vakoehler@co.bucks.pa.us or call 215-348-6002 Fax 215-345-1361 Deadline March 16th
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Spotlight on Artist Schedule
| Spotlight on artists for 2012.
If you are next Please send us any new images, information or news that you would like to be highlighted by the first of your month to the the HTA. |
| | March Lilywork Ceramic Ornament, LL | Belvedere Art Tile Ltd. | Piazza Art and Design | Clay Borne Co. | SAMA
April
Riverrun Center for the Arts | Moravian Pottery & Tile Works | Sight Line Tile | TCNA | NTCA | May
| Sheryl Tuorila | SOMI Tileworks | Potek Glass | Laurie McKichan LLC | Christine Nelson Design |
June Pasadena Craftsman Tile | Earth Wood and Fire | Deb LeAir | Northern Clay Center | Mosaic on a Stick, llc | July
| Margy Jean Balwierz | Untapped Resource Inc. | Suzanne Crane Fine Stoneware | Stephanie Kaczrowski | Dovetail Art & Antiques |
August North Prarie Tile | weaver tile | Mercury Mosaics | SatoriTile | Edina Art Center | September
| Barbara Schmidt | Stone Hollow Tile | Lea-Way Designs, LLC | David Aichinger Tile Co. | American Restoration Tile | October
| Tile Restoration Center | Red Step Studio | Dean Tile | Status Ceramics | November
| Alma Artisan | Pewabic Pottery | La Alameda Press | Thomas Kent Collection | Institute of Mosaic Art | Decemeber
| Desert Rise Stone Distr. | Clay Earth Studios | Ceramic Chinn | Hohn and Hohn Inc |
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Advertiser | 
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Minnesota Tile Festival |
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