California Tile on View at SFO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Jane Sullivan
Manager Marketing and Communications
(650) 821-5123
SF-04-24

California Tile on View at SFO
New Exhibition at San Francisco International Airport Presents the Rich History and Tradition of California Art Tile

SAN FRANCISCO — California Tile, a new exhibition on view at San Francisco International Airport from April 15, 2004, to January 17, 2005, explores the rich tradition and development of decorative tiles in California, particularly during the postwar building boom of the 1920s and 1930s.

The exhibition presents approximately 200 objects to illustrate the merging of the aesthetic traditions of the Mediterranean countries with the principles of the English Arts and Crafts movement in early twentieth century California art tile.

These twin aesthetic strains are also reflective of two early twentieth century trends in California architecture that incorporated art tile: Mediterranean architecture, which utilized the shiny majolica or faience tiles associated with the Hispano-Moresque style; and Craftsman-style bungalow architecture, which often integrated the matte medievalist tiles associated with the Arts and Crafts style. Tile designs included in the exhibition range from traditional Moorish geometric design, to medieval imagery of castles and ships, to California and Southwestern landscapes.

California Tile contains a brief introduction to historical Spanish, Portuguese, and Moroccan tiles, as well as dozens of examples from prominent California makers, ranging from small studio potteries such as California Faience to industrial giants such as Gladding, McBean and Company. In addition to decorative tiles, the exhibition also includes tiled furniture and tile architectural elements such as corbels and keystones. Objects are from the collections of Shannon and Norman Karlson; Riley Doty; Tile Heritage Foundation, Healdsburg, California; and Jerry Kunz.

California Tile is located post-security in Boarding Area F, Terminal 3. For press access, please contact Jane Sullivan at (650) 821-5123.

San Francisco Airport Museums

The San Francisco Airport Museums program was established by the Airport Commission in 1980 for the purposes of humanizing the Airport environment, providing visibility for the unique cultural life of San Francisco, and providing educational services for the traveling public. Today, the San Francisco Airport Museums features approximately twenty galleries throughout the Airport terminals displaying a rotating schedule of art, history, science, and cultural exhibitions, as well as the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, a permanent collection dedicated to the history of commercial aviation.

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About San Francisco International Airport

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