Ben Tyjeski – “Birds and Blooms” at Grove Gallery
(Milwaukee)—Grove Gallery in historic Walker’s Point will next unveil “Birds and Blooms, Art Tiles by Ben Tyjeski.” This exhibition will serve as Tyjeski’s first public display of art faience tiles, a handmade technique typically associated with craftsman-style architecture. Tyjeski’s prolific, detailed work includes 40 tiled panels that explore casual encounters with nature. The gallery will host an opening with the artist 5-9 p.m. on Friday, September 19, 2025.
It was Tyjeski’s appreciation for Milwaukee’s iconic craftsman buildings that first led him to publish several books on architectural terra cotta and faience tiles. This type of tile is made from plastic clay, and is either individually cut with a knife or pressed into carved molds and liberally painted with glaze, resulting in varying edges and rich surfaces imperfect like nature. This show presents something more unusual in the built-environment: motifs of native flora and fauna. As such, the tiles reveal a familiar natural world usually hidden.
“These designs come from taking walks with my sketchbook in nature, plus a reverence for the handmade craft of many of Milwaukee’s old homes and buildings,” said Tyjeski. “Each tile believes in a lifestyle, one at our fingertips, where we can take our time, noticing loveliness that grows around us.”
Gallery Hours for Birds & Blooms with artist Ben Tyjeski:
- Opening Night, Friday, September 19th 5-9p.m
- Doors Open Milwaukee, Saturday & Sunday, September 27 & 28 10a.m.-5p.m.
- Gallery Night, Friday October 17th 5-9 p.m.
- Show Closing: Gallery Day, Saturday October 18th 12-5p.m.
Grove Gallery is open all other Saturdays during exhibit run 12-4p.m.
For more details and event information, please visit www.gallerygrove.com.
Ben Tyjeski brings his field experience to his studio called the Tyjeski Tile Company, where he designs and creates handmade tile installations for homes and buildings. He has published numerous books on historic tiles and terra cotta, including Carl Bergmans and the Continental Faience & Tile Co. and Architectural Terra Cotta of Milwaukee County, and writes columns for Urban Milwaukee and Wauwatosa Historical Society. He gives architecture walking tours on terra cotta in various Milwaukee neighborhoods and has given presentations for local and national institutions. In 2012, Tyjeski earned his BFA in Ceramics from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts. He was also a Milwaukee Arts Board Mildred L. Harpole Artist of the Year in 2023.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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