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Greetings!
 We have wrapped up the 2013 Handmade Tile Association Directory Drive. It was another successful year with many new artists taking out ads in the directory. The Handmade Tile Association Directory continues to be the most successful tool we have created. Next up will be a board vote, a vote on the cover and a survey to members about the Minnesota Tile Festival, with your thoughts on the organization and goals for the future, coming shortly by e- mail. Your feedback is very important for planning; please take the time to fill it out. Thank you, in advance!
The deadline for advertising in the 2013 Directory is today, October 31st. If you have not sent in your ad and payment, please make sure to do so ASAP. Web advertising is always open year round. Please contact Josh@handmadetileassociation.org if you desire to advertise with the Handmade Tile Association.
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| Northwest Tile Festival This Weekend |
A Handmade Tile Show
Nov 2nd: 7-9 pm & Nov 3rd: 10-5 pm
NHWS Hall, 3501 NE 41st Street,
Seattle, WA 98195
Tile show and sale featuring over 30 Northwest artists representing a wide range of tile styles and designs ranging from classic to contemporary, plus ceramic wall and garden art. Prices range from $10-$500.
Free admission and free parking both days.
www.artisantilenw.org
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| Reviewing our goals |
As the end of the year edges closer it is important to review and discuss how our plans and ideas turned out. Here were our goals in January:1. Create marketing tools such as banners, signs and literature holders for the HTA, aiming for a better look that's easily recognizable at shows and events & that can be used by both members and the event organizers. We created three 6 ft tall banners to use at shows which were very well received. We also ordered more membership and bumper stickers which were handed out at meetings or mailed to members. 2. To continue to build our national presence through sponsorship and awards. During the Minnesota Tile Festival we had five awards sponsored by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and The Tile Heritage Foundation: 3. To promote and build the HTA artists memberships events to a national audience. The Handmade Tile Association Facebook page more than doubled its "Likes" in one year to over 530.  Our Linkedin page had 170 members last year; by the end of October we had 342 members, so we doubled in this outreach as well. Our e- Newsletter has grown to over 1,100 readers. We also advertised in Arts & Crafts Magazine. Our members handed out the directory all over the country at arts festivals, Coverings, at the 25th National Arts & Crafts Conference (Grove Park Inn in NC), Pasadena Arts And Crafts Show, SAMA in Tennessee, Doylestown Tile Festival and many more.  4. Promote artists' work nationally by working with members to create opportunities through more events and gallery shows.
Dozens of events, shows and opportunities were submitted over the past year and were posted on the Events page of the HTA website for members to use. We continue to look for more members (and non-members) to send us their local events to post on the HTA website and in social media.
6. To increase distribution of the directory to all 50 states. (This is a big one, which will take us many years to achieve.)
One of our best ways to measure this goal is to see how many new artists, advertisers and members we get for the next year's directory. We have had 12 new artist advertisers from across the country for the 2013 HTA directory, which is a record. We are still struggling with attracting tile setters, designers, galleries, and tile showrooms to be a part of the organization. Although many of them request directories they typically do not become active participants in our cause. This year we heard from many people that they have followed the organization and have wanted to take out an ad for years but have never acted, to make it happen. We suspect there are dozens, if not hundreds, of artist and tile industry people throughout the country that are thinking the same thoughts. We hope next year to move people off the fence to commit and to help us take the directory to the next level. The more advertisers we have, the more marketing dollars we can use to promote handmade tile. Help us reach this goal of 50-state directory distribution.
Many goals were met but we have many new challenges with the direction of the Minnesota Tile Festival. The survey coming your way will attempt to help the board make the best decisions to move forward with new goals. |
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Minnesota Tile Festival Reflections
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 | | Sight Line Tile |
The Minnesota Tile Festival is at a moment of reflection. After 11 years we have enough data to tell us some very important trends and information as we move forward. First the show itself has been a wonderful celebration of our membership and of fellow tile artists around the country. It is well received by all that attend.
What the HTA has learned over the years is that there are two types of vendors who do the show:
1. Arts festival vendors. These are artists who travel the country setting up booths, selling work and moving to the next show. A successful show is about sales. If they do not have sales, they don't do the show again. The MN Tile Festival has a hit-and-miss record with this group. Some years some vendors do great; other years, not so great. This is where low attendance causes us down years, in terms of sales.
2. Project orientated vendors. These vendors set up a booth to attract people doing home projects. They can be tile makers, tile setters or designers. We receive the best reviews from this group. Every year project vendors get follow-up orders for thousands of dollars. While they tend not to worry about selling products the day of the event, they still seem to sell more every year. This year they verbally reported it was one of the best years for many of them on both after show projects sales and day of sales.
 | | Kuilema Pottery, inc |
Attendance has been our biggest issue since the start. This year was no exception, with the 3rd lowest in our records. Since attendance is our biggest challenge, we have to start thinking about a series of issues and goals, which can be separated into two parts. First, should we continue the event at its current location? Second, is it time to completely change this event?
Staying in the same location.
The event at the American Swedish Institute is in a beautiful setting, easy to set up and take down. It has food, nice restrooms and a staff to help us with logistics. All great features, behind the scenes, that make the day of the event run smoothly. Ideas if we stay include:
1. Changing the name of the event.
2. Adding other types of mediums to be a part of the event like pottery, wood, or design.
3. Considering busing local organizations and schools to the event like kitchen and bathroom programs and Meetup.com groups. We need to be more proactive on literally driving people to the event. Most years we have focused on media and members to help us get the word out and it is always up and down results depending on what press we get.
A complete makeover.
1. Moving the event to an entirely new venue.
2. Not doing this event, but thinking of using our time and resources in different ways like awards night.
3. Being more engaged in doing events like Art A Whirl, State Fair, Home & Garden shows, Home Tours, Advertising in other organizations.
 | | Sharon Miller-Thompson |
Each idea has valid reasons to consider. Staying at our current location where we get consistent attendance and have a great visual and logistic venue keeps our cost under control and lets vendors know what to expect.
Moving is a great strain on the organization. When we moved to the Midtown Global Market in 2011 while the American Swedish Institute renovated we had all the same issues as our event this year. We seemed to get more attendance but logistics were challenging to get our regular crowd to attend and attract new ones as well as traffic flow. Some "arts festival artists" did great but some ok and others did poorly. Project vendors were consistent. It is difficult to get our regular attendees to know where we are if we keep moving. Being volunteer based and many members have not have the time to help so we have hire help and more costs are added. What it does give us is new audiences to be in front of. Moving in general is a gamble if it works many are very happy. If it does not work the whole organization not just the event can be at risk for failure.
 | | Elfstone Studio |
Not having a event we organize but partnering or being a part of other events allows the organization to have more outreach in different areas.
Since the tile festival is not a fundraiser for the Handmade Tile Association it has become all about bringing awareness of Handmade Tile but if both the organization and artists are not making profit something has to give.
None of our options are easy paths but what I want you as a reader to think about is what are the goals of the Minnesota Tile Festival? To bring awareness of Handmade Tile. Showcase, celebrate and award our achievements of the year. When you take the survey you can tell us your opinions and suggestions. If you have thoughts right away please send comments to info@handmadetileassociation.org We look forward from hearing from you.
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 Handmade Tile Association Meeting
November 15 & 16th Proofing Party for 2013 Handmade Tile Association Directory
At Handmade Tile Association/ Clay Squared to Infinity
34 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
612-781-6409
Agenda
review your ad in the directory and proof the directory for mistakes and comment on the flow and feel of the directory. Having many eyes ensure we have a professional presentation please take the time to come to the HTA office to look it over.
Those out of town will receive an electronic proof.
Cookies will be available to those who can proof!
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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| Do you have an event, class or show? |
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We need to know about your up coming events to help promote them. Every month hundreds of people go through our events pages and look for classes, workshops, gallery shows, tile festivals and they want to know where are members are showing. Please send us a who, what, why, and when with an image and we will post it on our events pages and social media.
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| Events, Show, New Products, Art, Classes, etc! |
| 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, click here to send your info
We are looking for more events to post. Please send us your classes and workshops, and gallery shows.
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Welcome New and Renewing Membership
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Business Members
Ceramic Chinn
Alex Chinn
Tile Restoration Center
Steve Moon
Barbara Schmidt
B.A. Schmidt ArtsCreative Photos Etc
Dave Bargabus
Mary Anderson Resource Inc.
Sheryl VanderPol Stone Hollow Tile
Wendy Penta
Nutmeg Designs
Margaret Almon Sight Line Tile
Amy Baur / Brian Boldon
SOMI Tileworks
Kirsten Walstead
Suzanne Crane Fine Stoneware
Suzanne Crane
Sheryl Tuorila
Marie Baron
Weaver Tile
Scott Weaver
Lea-Way Designs, LLC
Stephanie Kaczrowski
Martha Coursey Mosaic Tile Works
House on the Hill
Clay Earth Studios
Linda Taylor
Super Membership
Minnesota Mosaic Guild
NKBA MN Chapter
Cirrelda Snider-Bryan
La Alameda Press Our Creative Outlet.llc
Karen Norris Designs
clay squared to infinity
Josh Blanc
Corazzo Tile
Michele Corazzo
Mercury Mosaics
Mercedes Austin
Bond Tile & Stone
Kelly Anderson
Copper Swan Studio
Katie Thompson
Bloomington Art Center
Tina Schowalter
Tile Council of North America
Joseph Lundgren Consulting
Northern Clay Center |
| We need Volunteers! | | We are looking for volunteers for the data entry from the MN Tile Festival. We need to keep our address up to date and we had some returns from our mailing that need to be corrected or eliminated. | |
Get your 5 hours in and save money on your advertising.
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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. |
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| | | | 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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