Before I detail what you’ll find here, I just want to reiterate that every single tile setter in our industry has the potential to be a craftsperson and an artisan – and the lion’s share already are! Learning how to properly work with materials and tools, following standards for tile setting, using precision, seeking excellence, and exercising inspiration and creativity in your layouts and designs are all the marks of a prized craftsperson.

In this issue, you’ll learn about a celebrated craftsperson in Bart Bettiga’s One-to-One interview with Tommy Vu, recipient of the NTCA Tile Setter Craftsperson of the Year Award. You’ll get technical information about the newly-approved document that appears in this year’s NTCA Reference Manual entitled “Zellige Tile Installation Challenges and Considerations.” In our Gallery section, you’ll explore a gorgeous kitchen project that features a beautiful mosaic niche and the collaborations that made it possible – and learn about how a stunning bathroom installation led to the opportunity to create a feature wall for one tile setter.

Our cover story focuses on the artistry of Allison Eden’s mosaic work for an Arizona resort, and the LATICRETE setting materials that make the installation seamless. In our Installation section, we visit with two NTCA Five-Star Project of the Year winners – Jan Hohn of Hohn & Hohn, Inc., and Erin Albrecht of J&R Tile – and get the backstory on their award-winning projects.

Journey with me to Paramus and Secaucus, N.J., where I visited Artistic Tile’s newest showroom and its headquarters, complete with 25,000-sq.-ft. slab yard, and production line where gorgeous materials are converted into stunning mosaics.

We bring you a report from the 2024 Artisans Revolution in Tile (A.R.T.) training in which 16 seasoned tile setters upped their skills by learning how to create hand-shaped mosaics – and techniques that can also serve them well in day-to-day installs. We also take a peek at how some 2023 A.R.T. program veterans are spreading the word about the creative capacity of hand-shaped mosaics at tile events around the country, most recently Coverings and TileFest.

What do you know about the Tile Heritage Foundation (THF)? Do you know it has been a repository of historic and contemporary tiles and industry-related materials – as well as projects and company information about important players in this industry – since 1987? And did you know that you and your company can open a file – free – in the Foundation’s archives to preserve your accomplishments for posterity? Find out more in our Business section.

The Tile Throwback story in this issue details the work of Bob Harris – together with Jim Sullivan – in establishing Malibu Ceramic Works and its ability to provide “tiles that reflect the ceramic traditions of California and provided the finest craftsmanship available at that time.”

Finally, NTCA President Sam Bruce’s letter about being an artisan has wisdom for anyone who has laid hand to tile or engaged in creative work. Give it a read!

Our hope is that this issue inspires you to dive into your craft with greater passion and appreciation of the value you offer your clients, and entices you to experiment with something new in the realm of your craft. There is a whole community ready to support your creative endeavors!