Handmade Tile Association
January 2007 Newsletter

New Directory available
Society of Mosaic Artists
Coverings Is Coming to Chicago
Next Handmade Tile Association meeting January 17th
Tax Talk
agenda

Side Bar
Thank you to our members
6th annual MN Tile Festival
Marketing the MN Tile Festival
Annual directory mailing party

The 2007 Directory is now available!  It is 36 pages chock full of great tiles and resources.  The HTA directory showcases 32 artists. 10,000 directories were printed by Gopher State Litho and the cover was chosen by HTA members from the four choices they were presented at the proofing party.  The historic tile image used is of The Great Café Braure at the Chicago zoo. HTA mosaic artist and member Judy Sell took the photo.  Thanks to Greg Good for designing our great layout and the ad for the MN Tile festival. And thank you to our sponsor the American Swedish Institute. Thanks to all of you all for submitting work, advertising, articles, and proofreaders for the wonderful job of creating our 7th Handmade Tile Association directory.

I want to give a special thanks to our non-arts members who generously became members to support the artists and the organization.  The HTA has 101 overall members; 32 are artists and the remaining 69 are Friends, Business, and Super Friend members, allowing the HTA to keep the cost of artists participating in the directory the same for the past three years.  This is significant because prices for artists to participate in shows and adverting has been increasing at an alarming rate of late.  The HTA is committed to making the HTA directory an affordable resource for tile artists to showcase their work.  So many members have attended the MN Tile Festival, purchased artwork from the artists and donated time; and all of you have been the biggest supporters of the renaissance of artisan tile in the upper Midwest.  Thank you for all your support; It is much appreciated. 
People can either pick up directories at Clay Squared from 11- 5 Monday – Saturday or at our next meeting at Continental Clay January 17th 2007.  If you know you are attending the meeting and plan to take a case of 220 directories with you please contact Josh so he can bring you one.  There are plenty to go around, so don’t be shy.

Society of American Mosaic Artists
This past month the HTA has been in correspondence with the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) about how the two organizations can work together to help each others.  SAMA has invited the HTA to write an article about our organization in their newsletter Groutline.  In return the HTA will do a profile of the SAMA organization.  We will trade links and work on how we can create partnerships on projects.  The HTA tile makers have a lot to offer mosaic artists in the way of custom materials.  SAMA has over 800 members and many mosaic artists have been discovering the vast resource of handmade tile to use in there artwork.  The HTA has numerous SAMA members in its midst and many of them are going to the annual conference this year in Mesa, AZ.  We will add this to our agenda for the January meeting to allow members to know if they should consider attending SAMA’s conference and what SAMA can offer your business. For more info go to www.americanmosaics.org

SAMA is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the promotion of mosaic art and the advancement of mosaic artists through research, education, and networking.

Annual Conference: Each year in March, members gather from around the world to learn, share knowledge, and network. With an average attendance of over 300, the event has grown to include in-depth workshops, presentations from some of the world's leading mosaicists, author book signings, and exciting social activities. Host cities have included Miami, Chicago, Washington, DC, San Francisco, and Mesa, AZ. The Conference is also the site of our annual members meeting. To learn more about Desert Andamento, our 2007 Conference to be held in March 21-24 in Mesa, AZ Sama

Conference Fees and Registration Periods
$175 Early Registration – November 27, 2006 through January 31, 2007
$225 Late Registration – February 1 – March 1, 2007
$325 Walk-in registration (if available – space limited)

Coverings Is Coming to Chicago
April 17 – 20, 2007
McCormick Place Chicago, Illinois USA

A Coverings by their account is the largest tile and stone marketplace in the Western Hemisphere - hosting 33,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors covering over 500,000 of exhibit space. In 2006, attendees came from more than 100 countries. More than 1,200 companies are expected to exhibit and more than 56 countries and territories will be represented on the show floor. This year the show will move from Orlando where it has been for many years to our back yard Chicago.  This is an exciting opportunity to see tile companies from all over the world in one spot.  There will be an Avenue of the Artists (8’ x7’) and the Tile Village (10’ x10’) at the event spotlights tile artists.  The HTA has had members showcasing in the event every year for the past five years and this year will be no exception.  Hopefully many of you will be able to make time in your schedules to visit the show which is free and open to the public and be amazed at how big our industry really is and how many resources you have to improve your business and spark your imagination.  If you have plans to show at Coverings you should contact the show immediately before space is gone.  For pricing information and space availability, please contact:

Jeff Sproehnle
jsproehnle@ntpshow.com
+1.703.683.8500 ext. 201
www.coverings.com

If you just plan on attending as a viewer or a vendor, consider booking a hotel soon to get best prices and availability.  Downtown hotel rooms can run from $180 to $500 a night.  Transit in Chicago is great and you should be able to find reasonably priced hotels or a bed and breakfast out of the city and take the train in to the event.  If the HTA receives any information on housing we will pass it on.

Tax Talk
Taxes and general accounting becomes a bigger issue as your businesses grow. Many of the HTA members have expressed interest of some type of accounting information or presentation. The HTA has invited Lori Olsen Howell of ABC accounting to talk at the January meeting about how to keep better books and preparing for tax season. ABC accounting has just become a first time advertiser and member in the HTA directory. She has a history of working with artists book keeping. Hope to see you there.

Next Handmade Tile Association Meeting

When - January 17th
Time: 6pm
Where - Continental Clay
1101 Stinson Blvd
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413
Phone: 612-331-9326

Agenda
The 2007 Directory will be available
Tour of behind the scenes of Continental Clay
Minneapolis Tile Festival Applications available
ABC Accounting presentation on accounting needs and questions
Marketing committee set up for the MN tile Festival

Pot Luck

Annual directory mailing party
We will be having a directory mailing party starting Tuesday, January 30th.   We will need at least four to six volunteers to help us.  We will make this major undertaking of mailing 2500 – 3500 directories a fun event by offering lunch, cookies, hot chocolate and coffee.  It is also a great opportunity for members to get to know each other and talk shop.  If you can donate 4 to 5 hours of time please contact the HTA at 612-781-6409.  We would love to have you and we need you!

6th annual MN Tile Festival
Registration for the 2007 MN Tile Festival will be available at the January 17th meeting.  It is a first come first serve process and will not be available online until after the meeting.  There are only 14 outside spaces available and 26 inside.  The cost is $165 for an outside 10’ x 10’ booth and $140. For a 3’x 8’ table inside for an additional $25 you can get a 2nd table inside.  Members will receive 10% off.  Booth fees are the same as last year and have never risen in price in the six years the HTA has produced the show.  Postcards will be available for the show at the March HTA meeting.

Marketing the MN Tile Festival
During our January HTA meeting we will be creating a marketing committee for the MN Tile festival to build on the success of the event.  Your participation is crucial to building a bigger and stronger audience.  Please consider joining the committee. We would love your advice, experience and time.

Thank you to our members

Friends
Barbara Callaway, Beth Turnbull, Blair Designs Association.Inc, Carol Bradley, Diana Lein, Gigi Turker, Jeanne Anderson, Judith Yourman, Julie Hiebert, Karen Birgit Bach, Kathy Grubbs, Laura Burlis, Merribeth O'Keefe, Nancy Pellowski, Sarah Nordstrom, Susan Palmieri, Susan Shaughnessy, Timothy J. Como, Tracy Christianson, Wendy Goodmanson

Business
Anne Krocak, Blue Marble Clayworks, Bread & Roses Remodeling, Builders Commonwealth, Christa Lane-Larsen, Chuck Woodson, Clay Borne Co, David Aurelius, Deb LeAir, Duluth Pottery, Earth Wood and Fire, Edina Art Center, Elk Hollow Pottery, Fired up, FK Art Glass, Fly on the Wall, Friends of Terra Cotta, Gary Quirk, Ione M Roland, James Kulata, Jan Hohn, Jane Swan, Jennifer Saliture, Joel and Ruth Mckinney, Judith Poe, Judy Sell Kaye and John Luetke, Kenneth and Patricia, Larson, Kirsten Walsted, Lakota Tile, Linda Taylor, Linda Witkowski, Lori Howell, Lucy Gantz, Lucy Yogerst, Margy Jean Balwierz, Marty Pearson, Mary Gephart, Mary Philpott, Mercury Mosaics, MN Ceramic Supply, Mosaic on a Stick,LLC, Mosaic Realm, Motawi Tileworks, Nana McKernan, Nancy Froseth, Northern Clay Center, Pat Joyelle Rubble Tile, Sarah and Shawn Nelson, Seasons on St. Croix, Sharon Neff, Sharra Frank, Sheryl Tuorila, SOMI Tileworks, Stephanie Kaczrowski, Stone Hollow Tile, The Tile Mechanic, Thomas Kent Collections, Tina Schowalter, Voigt's Ceramic Tile

Super Friends
Clay Squared to Infinity, Leann E. Johnson, North Prairie Tile, Orton Tofte, Pewabic Pottery, Tile Council of America, Tile Heritage Foundation