Festival to Showcase Handcrafted Tiles

At her studio on Doyle Street, renowned local artist Katia McGuirk has been feverishly preparing for the granddaddy of tile events.

In the world of the tile artist and collector, the annual tile festival at the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works is a Pretty Big Deal.

"For anybody who’s interested in tile, from the beginner to the avid collector, there will be a tile for everyone," McGuirk said Wednesday, taking a brief break from "mosaicing my little brains out."

This Saturday and Sunday, the grounds of the Tile Works will turn into a living testament to the creativity and skill of artists like McGuirk, who transform pieces of clay into amazingly detailed works of art. For more than a dozen years, the annual tile festival at the has given festival goers a peek into that creative process.

Tile artists and dealers of historic tiles from around the country will gather to display a large and unique selection of ceramic art tiles. Past festivals drew tile makers and exhibitors from up and down the East Coast, and even Germany, as well as many local tile artists from Pennsylvania.

This year proves to be no exception. McGuirk estimated that about 50 tile artists and vendors will be showing and selling their wares at the festival.

And, of course, the Tile Works itself will be on display, opening for tours to show visitors how today's artists still are following in the Arts and Crafts-inspired footsteps of Henry Chapman Mercer.

"The Tile Works was really a launching pad for so many tile makers," said McGuirk, who moved to Doylestown in the 1980s to work as a ceramicist at the Tile Works. "So many artists got their start from studying there, working there. It’s totally unique."

Mercer founded the Tile Works in 1898, after studying German pottery. He directed the ceramics work produced there until his death in 1930.

Now owned by Bucks County, the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works is maintained as a working history museum. Today, tiles still are created in much the same manner as in Mercer's day.

McGuirk left the Tile Works in the 90s and started her own ceramics business, Katia McGuirk Tile Co. Her studio at 205 Doyle St. is busy with manufacturing, teaching and spreading the love of the handcrafted tile.

Hers is the creative mind behind Doylestown art landmarks such as on West Street, the Star Garden, and many other community art installations.

McGuirk also sits on the board of the Tile Heritage Foundation. Founded in 1987, the California-based nonprofit group is dedicated to promoting an awareness and appreciation of ceramic surfaces in the United States. The Foundation also will have a table set up at the tile festival.

Other artists expected to display at the festival include Peace Valley Tile, based in New Britain, and Courtney King, a Colorado artist who studied Mercer's tilemaking approach with McGuirk.

General admission is $6. Proceeds benefit the curatorial and educational programs of the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. The festival is sponsored by the Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation.

For more information, visit the Tile Works website or call (215) 348-6098.