Tieton Mosaic Project Launches with More Than Public Art in Mind

The  National Endowment for the Arts has awarded Tieton Arts and Humanities a $50,000 grant to launch the Tieton Mosaic Project. The project is a joint venture by TA&H, the City of Tieton, Mighty Tieton, Paper Hammer Studios, and the Washington State Arts Commission  Over the next two years, the Tieton Mosaic project will develop a commercial studio that will produce high-end typographic mosaic signage for local, regional and national customers.

The NEA portion of the budget will provide arts education workshop at local schools and within the community, as well as designing and installing at least six mosaic murals around downtown Tieton, and will also train up and coming artist to staff Tieton Mosaic, a commercial studio that will produce murals for clients across the U.S.

Ultimately, the mosaic signage installed on public buildings will transform the central area of the town of Tieton into a showroom for the skills and services that Tieton Mosaic will offer.

The Tieton Mosaic Project is precisely the kind of endeavor Ed Marquand had in mind when he founded Mighty Tieton, an artisan business incubator .

"The $50,000 grant is a step in the right direction," said Marquand.  However, the award remains contingent upon TH&H raising an equal amount in cash and in-kind services. "We have a lot of fundraising to do," Marquand said, "but with community support, sales of a line of mosaic lettering, and regional participation, we will get there."