One of the decorative arts at which Southern California excels is tile.
One day only, Saturday, June 4, the California Heritage Museum will hold its annual California Tile Sale. The same day, a new exhibit, “Batchelder Tile,” will open.
Leading dealers and producers of California Art Tile, collectors, and lovers of the California decorative arts will gather on the grounds of the museum to see and buy rare and exquisite examples of California tile. The museum’s publication, California Tile: The Golden Era 1910 –1940, was described in Architectural Digest (June, 2005) as “the definitive two volume work” on the subject.
“Batchelder Tile,” the latest iteration in the museum’s continuing Tile Focus series, showcases the work of Ernest Batchelder, who founded his school and pottery workshop in the Arroyo Secco in 1909, based on the utopian ideals of the arts and craft movement. Two years later, his tile was being incorporated into Greene and Greene houses in the Pasadena area as his characteristic muted colors and finishes were integral to the classic craftsman home of Southern California. His design philosophy influenced and inspired generations of ceramic artists and today Batchelder is perhaps the most sought-after heritage tile in America.
Tile Sale visitors will be admitted free to the Batchelder exhibition, the museum’s permanent collection of California decorative arts and the exhibition “Groves of Gold: California Fruit Box Labels.”The Heritage is located on Main Street at Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica.
