California Decorative Tile

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Charles Schuler 
Director of Marketing & Communications 
San Francisco International Airport
(650) 821-5031
Charles.Schuler@flysfo.com
SF-24-42

California Decorative Tile 
New exhibition highlights decorative tile made in California during the early twentieth century.   

SAN FRANCISCO—Tile evokes the warm and artistic nature of California along with the historic character of its past. Introduced to the state during Spanish occupation, tile remained a central decorative element in the early twentieth century during a golden era of tilemaking. For four decades, California produced remarkable tile that showcased historical romanticism alongside modern artistry. Arts and Crafts-style bungalows featured tile with picturesque scenes and natural motifs rendered in earthy tones. In Spanish Colonial Revival-style homes, decorative tile in bold patterns and brightly colored glazes accentuated terra cotta roof and floor tiles. Many California kitchens and bathrooms still feature extensive tilework, while tile adorns fireplace surrounds, staircase risers, fountains, and patios. This exhibition presents decorative California tile by Los Angeles and Bay Area companies from the collection of the Tile Heritage Foundation.  

A very special thank you to Tile Heritage Foundation for making this exhibition possible. 

@SFOMuseum
#CaliforniaTile

California Decorative Tile is located pre-security in the Mayor Edwin M. Lee International Departures Hall of the San Francisco International Airport. This exhibition is on view to all Airport visitors from October 26, 2024 – June 8, 2025. There is no charge to view the exhibition.

About SFO Museum

Established in 1980 by the Airport Commission, SFO Museum’s mission is to delight, engage, and inspire a global audience with programming on a broad range of subjects; to collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history of commercial aviation; and to enrich the public experience at San Francisco International Airport. The Museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1999 and retains the distinction of being the only accredited museum in an airport.

SFO Museum operates more than twenty-five sites throughout the Airport terminals, including fourteen galleries that exhibit a rotating schedule of art, history, photography, science, and cultural exhibitions. Among the sites is the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, which houses a permanent collection of more than 160,000 objects related to the history of commercial aviation. To browse current and past exhibitions, research our collection, or for more information, please visit www.sfomuseum.org. Follow us on www.facebook.com/sfomuseum, www.x.com/sfomuseum, or www.instagram.com/sfomuseum.

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