Sonoma County has a strong but often overlooked connection to ceramics, craft, architecture, and the natural environment. This program would bring together two different perspectives on working with clay:
• Kala Stein’s contemporary studio practice as a ceramic artist, designer, educator, and creator of large-scale installations.
• McIntyre Tile’s experience translating the qualities of handmade ceramics into architectural tile produced for residences, hospitality spaces, public projects, pools, and other permanent installations.
We’ll explore how clay moves from the earth to the studio, kiln, wall, pool, or building—and how artists and manufacturers balance experimentation, craftsmanship, consistency, durability, and scale.
Instead of focusing on the history of Sonoma County ceramics, we’ll instead showcase the region’s current ceramic culture and the continuing importance of locally made materials, skilled craftspeople, and collaboration between artists, manufacturers, architects, and interior designers.
SCHEDULE:
- Welcome and introduction to McIntyre Tile and Kala Stein Studio.
- Guided factory tour showing the principal stages of architectural tile production, including forming, glazing, kiln firing, quality control, and finishing.
- Illustrated conversation between Kala and the McIntyre team covering:
• The similarities and differences between studio ceramics and architectural manufacturing.
• Clay, glaze, firing, color development, variation, and material experimentation.
• Moving from a single handmade object to a large architectural installation.
• The influence of Sonoma County’s landscape, environment, architecture, and creative community.
• Collaboration among artists, manufacturers, architects, designers, installers, and clients.
Followed by Q+A and an opportunity to examine finished tile, glaze samples, clay bodies, prototypes, and examples of Kala’s work.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
McIntyre Tile has been making handmade architectural tile in Healdsburg for more than five decades. The company produces porcelain, stoneware, and glazed thin brick for residential, hospitality, commercial, and aquatic installations.
The McIntyre Tile Company was founded in 1972 by a group of innovative ceramicists entranced by the beauty of artisanal pottery. Inspired by the local natural landscape in Healdsburg, California, the artists designed and developed their first handmade ceramic tiles, then stoneware tiles. The resulting first collection was prized by San Francisco architects and designers for their warm, earthy look and color characteristics.
Kala Stein is a Sonoma-based ceramic artist, sculptor, designer, and educator whose practice includes large-scale ceramic installations and collectible design. Her work connects craft, design, natural systems, and environmental themes.
Kala Stein is a ceramics artist and teacher based in Sonoma representing issues of climate and weather in her work. Last year, she did a large installation of an atmospheric river storm in a series of clay tiles. Part of her process includes using rain water to representing the weather affects in the glaze. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)
Kala Stein (above)
McIntyre Tile (below)
