Tile artists return for show Saturday

For the third year in a row, the artists of Artisan Tile Northwest have chosen Madison Park as the venue for their Northwest Handmade Tile Festival. The two-day affair gets underway at Pioneer Hall (1642 43^rd Avenue E.) this Friday, October 1, with an artists’ reception from 5 pm until 8 pm. On Saturday, there will be a curated show on the theme “Mythical Creature.” The participating artists have created special tiles related to this theme; and those tiles, as well as other works by these talented artisans, will be available for sale.

As was true last year, two Madison Park tile makers are featured in the Festival. Barbara Clark (Agapanther Tiles) will be displaying her nature-inspired works (that’s her installation shown above, in the shop window of Cookin’ during the recent Madison Park Art Walk); and Maria Root (Primitiva Pottery and Tile), who also was on display during Art Walk, will be back at the Festival with her own take on flora and fauna (examples of her art are shown below).

The artists’ reception on Friday is open to the public, and admission to the show on Saturday, which runs from 10 am until 5 pm, is free. This is the fifth annual show for Artisan Tile Northwest, a non-profit formed to promote the art and craft of these local artists. For more information on the group, check out their website. Additional information on the artists and examples of their work is available here.

[Middle photo: The art of Leschi tile artist Debra Bacianga.]