Coverings, the largest global tile and stone exposition in North America, has joined with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and The Chicago Mosaic School to develop programs that investigate the use of tile as a medium for creative design.
Coverings
“Partnerships with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and The Chicago Mosaic School not only allow Coverings to support the dynamic creative landscape in Chicago, but also provide opportunities for Coverings attendees to think about tile and stone materials in unexpected ways,” said Karin Fendrich, Coverings show director. “These programs challenge both future and current tile and stone industry professionals to truly understand just what these materials are capable of producing for design projects and how their qualities are best utilized from a technical standpoint.”
During a three-week workshop, SAIC students of architecture, interior architecture and fine arts will learn about the process of selecting tile materials, creating construction and installation drawings, and fabricating and installing the product. During the course, the National Tile Contractors Association will deliver instruction on installation techniques, methods and standards. Student teams will collaborate to create benches that incorporate tile and stone. The benches will be on display for Coverings attendees, and during a ceremony on April 18, a panel will select the most creative design and best technical execution.
“The creation of this workshop course with Coverings gives SAIC students the means to explore materials and techniques in collaborative and engaging ways while establishing connections with the professional world,” said Guinevere Johnson, course director and SAIC lecturer. “It also will expose this student group to not only the many ways in which tile can be used, but the wide range of professional opportunities available in this international industry—ranging from highly technical skilled work to creative product design.”
Via the Chicago Mosaic School partnership, Coverings attendees will have an opportunity to interact with tile as a creative medium during workshop and demonstration sessions held onsite at the show. Chicago Mosaic School instructors will teach attendees how tools and materials can create various mosaic effects. Interactive workshops will provide hands-on introductions to materials best suited to mosaic applications and the techniques required for handling and application during a mosaic project.
“There is an extraordinarily vast opportunity to use tile in creative and artistic expressions,” said Karen Ami, founder and executive director of The Chicago Mosaic School. “Holding these sessions at Coverings creates an opportunity for trade professionals, whether designers or contractors, to interact with tile in an imaginative way that allows them to expand their material vocabulary.”
Coverings 2016 will take place from April 18 to 21, at McCormick Place in Chicago.
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