Published: Wednesday, April 2, 2014, 12:01a.m. Updated 20 hours ago

Gene Massaro began working for his father and uncle as a stonemason, helping on such iconic projects as the fountain at Point State Park. But he made his mark moving the family business from stone work to tile.

He thought there was more business to interior flooring as opposed to exterior stonemasonry, said Jon O'Brien, spokesman for the Master Builders' Association in Green Tree. He loved his trade. His attention to detail was second to none.

Eugene Gene J. Massaro died on Monday, March 31, 2014, at his home in Monroeville. He was 82.

He was born to Mary and Joseph Massaro and grew up in Lincoln-Larimer. He played football for Westinghouse High School and the University of Louisville and served in the Army during the Korean War.

He started working in the family business, Massaro Brothers, in 1955 and was a member of Bricklayers Local 9 ever since. He helped build St. Raphael Church in Morningside and worked on projects for the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University. In 1974, he became president of Massaro Brothers, which eventually became Massaro Industries. He helped it grow into one of the largest tile contractors in Western Pennsylvania.

Recent projects include the flooring tile at UPMC East in Monroeville, Bethel Park High School and HYATT house Pittsburgh-South Side.

He's highly respected among the construction community, someone you can rely on if you hire the company, O'Brien said. When you look at the floor, it looks amazing. Like many industries, schedules are always important. If he said it was going to be built by that date, it was going to happen.

Mr. Massaro is survived by his wife, Kenita Massaro of Monroeville; his ex-wife, Lucy Massaro; daughters, Patricia Argentieri of Florida, and Nancy Hammill, Mary Jo Massaro and Karen Zavacky, all of Plum; sons, Jim Massaro of Penn Hills and Michael Massaro of California; stepson, Scott Hutsenpiller of Portland, Ore.; brother, Joseph Massaro; 18 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Mr. Massaro was preceded in death by his brother, Gerard Massaro.

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Tile contractors eye for detail earned respect

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By ULA ILNYTZKY Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - The domes and arched ceilings - each arrayed with tiles in herringbone and basket-weave patterns - are hidden in plain sight. Millions of people walk under them every day at the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Terminal, New York's St. John the Divine, the Boston Public Library, the San Diego Museum of Man and hundreds of other places.

But Rafael Guastavino and his son Rafael Jr., the makers of these sweeping tiled vaults that provide both decoration and structure, have mostly been forgotten, in part because credit went to the architects who commissioned them.

A new exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York tells the story of the master masons who, between the late 1800s and the time their company closed in 1962, created vaults, domes and other tile work in 1,000 buildings in 42 states.

"Palaces for the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural Tile" focuses on their 250 commissions in New York - the most of any other city where their work is found.

The Guastavinos arrived in New York from Barcelona in the late 19th century and patented a thin-tile vaulting technique based on a 500-year-old Spanish building method that was lightweight, extremely strong, self-supporting and fireproof. Fires were a great concern in the late 19th century as many buildings were made of wood.

Their method of interlocking and layering thin clay tiles with quick-drying mortar in decorative patterns revolutionized architectural design. It created grand palatial interiors, such as the delightful Elephant Room at the Bronx Zoo and New York's City Hall subway station, an ornate subterranean cathedral of glazed green, ivory and brown tiles now shuttered and only viewable through the window of a passing train.

Instead of using heavy stone, they used a particularly thin ceramic tile that is similar to brick that can be glazed in different colors, said John Ochsendorf, the exhibition's co-curator and a professor of architecture at MIT and author of "Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile."

"I think of them as Gothic master masons in the great Gothic tradition where it took a century to build a cathedral," except they worked on 100 buildings simultaneously since the light tiles allowed them to work at a quick pace, Ochsendorf said.

"At the simplest level they're builders. But they're also acting as architects, as engineers and interior decorators choosing patterns of tiles, color and schemes," added Ochsendorf. "The vault is ... their great contribution to American architecture. It is a fusion of art and technology that engineers still struggle to understand."

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Look up: Tile artists' work hidden in plain view - Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois & Missouri News, Sports

Islamic geometric artwork, tile work, parquetry and illumination are considered a very rare form of art nowadays. Its considered an old art haven used during the peak age of the Islamic Empire centuries ago when they studied the beauty of things and have since did all they could to study and perfect their handwork. Architects and artists alike studied math and geometry and explored that world and have thus created masterpieces found all over the Islamic world. The Caliphates have always been keen to educate pupils and help elaborate on the beauty of the Islamic religion, leading to creating masterpieces in mosques, palaces, gardens and others. Dana Awartani is a Saudi-Palestinian artist keen to revive this sacred old art and has found that right mix to reintroduce it into the modern world we live in today. It was a difficult road but she has persevered and pushed and introduced it into a new light that is finding wide acceptance in both Saudi and international societies. Arab News met with Dana and found out what she had to say about her fixation on her art and the reasons why she does what she does today.

Its my understanding that it takes a lot to do what you do, concentration, balance and mastering plenty of patience when creating one of your pieces whether it be with tiles or your pencil and paint brush. Tell us how you did you find that balance and patience? Did it take a lot out of you just to get to that level? My training in art was very schizophrenic, even the way I practice my art as well. I first started with conventional training at Central Saint Martins in London, training in fine arts, learning about the mental thinking of art, how to create a piece and how to critique it as an example. After graduating, I found that I craved to create art using my hands, I knew how to paint and draw since a young age but I wanted to do more after graduating. Having enrolled into The Princes School I found that I was learning things completely opposite of what I learned before. I was learning about the craft and handwork in high end art, I learned a craft every week and my interest grew and that helped me to teach myself other crafts such as Moroccan ceramic technique. Geometry was the core of the whole course and I thought Id struggle because Im really horrendous with math, but realized that geometry is more visual than numbers. I absolutely loved it. Yet I still found something missing, so I combined by previous intellectual education with the handwork type of education I was studying at the time and found that balance, that wanting to create something that can be hung and appreciated and that required perfection with the help of balance and patience combined.

How difficult is the process of creating your art? I think the process is more important that the end result. The way you create your art, whether it be geometry or illumination, I cant be in a bad mood or not centered. You need to be focused 100 percent and spiritually centered. Its so time consuming that there is a term when producing the art as a form of dhekir and every brush stroke is a form of dhekir and the things Im creating, sacred geometry and illuminations, are all a reflection of Allahs creations. Theres a quote from Rumi which is my favorite that says There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground, there are a thousand ways to go home again, this is another element that speaks to me personally, its my connection. Thats the beauty of it.

Why have you chosen geometric Islamic art specifically? As Arabs were raised around this fine art, were surrounded by it in every corner but were not aware of it. You can see geometry all around you like in mosques for example. I was looking for a track to follow and looking deep down inside I felt a yearning for it until Ive discovered it. There is an inner and outer beauty behind it telling a story behind every structured piece, there is no randomness when it comes to creating such pieces.

Being as young as you are and getting to where you are now, how hard was it to get there? Ive had to fight a lot of inner battles. The Princes School was an amazing experience for me but they make you abandon all types of contemporary thinking of art and when graduating I had a tunnel vision and created extremely traditional art pieces and illuminations. I then thought to myself that I didnt want to be just another traditional artist. I tried my best to elevate that to another level and it took me a very long time to get to where I am. I slowly had to go exploring for new methods of expression through the Islamic arts. Having been in Al Athr Gallery has also helped inspire me by getting me back into that contemporary art.

Did you have a mentor guiding you through the process? No, not really, I had much support from my teachers in my old work but the artists that are there with me in the gallery are somewhat my support system, they nurture my inspiration and give me that extra push with respect to my limits knowing that my art is different from them.

What is your take on Islamic art, how would you define it? You need to understand that Islamic art now and Islamic art in history are very different, that was the only form known to them at the time. They were conscious about what they were doing, in geometry to be specific there is a lot of symbolism like the use of the number eight for example. Its directly with regard to an important Islamic figure. All shapes and numbers were used with the highest regard. Islamic art was more sacred and was practiced with spiritual rituals and preparedness

Tell us about your campaign to revive the traditional Islamic art in our society? Im incredibly surprised to see so many people interested in it. When viewing my pieces at an exhibit they are very positive especially the younger generation, they are craving to know more about what this art technique is. I found that the teachings of the technique is mainly from books and using a canvas to draw something connected to Islam or something, and this is not the real form of teaching of the trait, its more complex than that. I found that the West cares more for it than our own society and I want to help change that.

Seeing how intricate and delicate your work is, are you a perfectionist? Yes I am a perfectionist. I work very hard to create my pieces and not many see Islamic art as high end because they think its too traditional and that is simply not true. I find satisfaction doing what I do and I prefer to create a piece that one can buy, hang up, appreciate its details, its what i worked hard for. Danas art work is currently on display at Jeddah Arts 21,39 and were displayed at the Dubai Art Fair. You can also view her work at the Athr Gallery in Jeddah.

Email: [emailprotected]

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Dana Awartani: Decoding Islamic art

NEW YORK, N.Y. The domes and arched ceilings each arrayed with tiles in herringbone and basket-weave patterns are hidden in plain sight. Millions of people walk under them every day at the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Terminal, New Yorks St. John the Divine, the Boston Public Library, the San Diego Museum of Man and hundreds of other places.

But Rafael Guastavino and his son Rafael Jr., the makers of these sweeping tiled vaults that provide both decoration and structure, have mostly been forgotten, in part because credit went to the architects who commissioned them.

A new exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York tells the story of the master masons who, between the late 1800s and the time their company closed in 1962, created vaults, domes and other tile work in 1,000 buildings in 42 states.

Palaces for the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural Tile focuses on their 250 commissions in New York the most of any other city where their work is found.

The Guastavinos arrived in New York from Barcelona in the late 19th century and patented a thin-tile vaulting technique based on a 500-year-old Spanish building method that was lightweight, extremely strong, self-supporting and fireproof. Fires were a great concern in the late 19th century as many buildings were made of wood.

Their method of interlocking and layering thin clay tiles with quick-drying mortar in decorative patterns revolutionized architectural design. It created grand palatial interiors, such as the delightful Elephant Room at the Bronx Zoo and New Yorks City Hall subway station, an ornate subterranean cathedral of glazed green, ivory and brown tiles now shuttered and only viewable through the window of a passing train.

Instead of using heavy stone, they used a particularly thin ceramic tile that is similar to brick that can be glazed in different colours, said John Ochsendorf, the exhibitions co-curator and a professor of architecture at MIT and author of Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile.

I think of them as Gothic master masons in the great Gothic tradition where it took a century to build a cathedral, except they worked on 100 buildings simultaneously since the light tiles allowed them to work at a quick pace, Ochsendorf said.

At the simplest level theyre builders. But theyre also acting as architects, as engineers and interior decorators choosing patterns of tiles, colour and schemes, added Ochsendorf. The vault is their great contribution to American architecture. It is a fusion of art and technology that engineers still struggle to understand.

A replica in the show built by some of Ochsendorfs students is our best guess at how they would have built a vault like this.

Excerpt from:
Soaring decorative vaults by largely unknown artists hidden in plain sight across America

Carpet tile manufacturer Interface is no stranger to thinking outside the box. It has journeyed beyond the typical design boundaries of carpet squares and planks. And its now breaking through to new levels of environmental and social responsibility, sustainability and the next wave in product design. A new modular carpet collection, Net Effect, is inspired both by the oceans life-giving power and its plight marine life and habitats that are endangered by discarded fishing nets, acidification, over-fishing, pollution and climate change.

The collection was born of Net-Works, an innovative global business and conservation partnership between Interface and the conservation charity the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Net-Works was launched in the Danajon Bank area of the Philippines in 2012 to tackle two distinct issues: first, to address the growing environmental problem of discarded fishing nets in some of the worlds poorest coastal communities, and second, to help solve the problem of finding a viable waste stream to feed the company's ambitious post-consumer nylon recycling goals. Working closely with Aquafil, a key Interface supplier that has refined the technology to recycle nylon waste into new nylon carpet fibre, and NGO Project Seahorse Foundation for Marine Conservation Inc, Net-Works is advancing the companys goal of closed-loop manufacturing. End of life fishing nets recovered from the fishing industry supply chain represent some of the worlds cleanest and most abundant supply of post consumer nylon, the same raw material as carpet yarn. Developing a local reclamation system for these nets, Net-Works is improving residents livelihoods and providing the impetus for new community banking institutions that offer long-term solutions to poverty.

Interfaces business is built around inspiration, innovation and the pursuit of true sustainability economic, environmental and social, said Chip DeGrace, executive creative director for Interface. Products like Net Effect - and programmes like Net-Works demonstrate how creative thinking can change the way we do business and move us closer to the ultimate goal of being a restorative enterprise.

Sea Beauties The Net Effect product collection provides a subtle visual reminder of the sea on its surface, with a design reminiscent of swirling currents. Created by David Oakey, owner of David Oakey Designs, an exclusive designer for Interface, the collection of six modular carpet tile options embraces sustainability in construction and concept.

Aesthetically, we wanted Net Effect to capture the positivity of the Net-Works partnership and the beauty of the waters its so closely tied to, said Oakey. This collection connects people with the emotions and memories associated with the beach, but their enjoyment is its most superficial benefit. Whats beneath the surfaceincluding the products ties to the good work Net-Works is doingis what makes it extraordinary.

Net Effects three 50 cm square tiles comprising a neutral ground, transition tile and textural accentevoke the sea with a texture that references the moment when waves wash over land. The three tiles can be combined to create design elements including continuous transitions, borders and inset area rugs.

The square tiles organic forms pair beautifully with three 25 cm x 1 m skinny plank styles that capture the fluidity of water and convey the expanding and contracting rhythms of the tides with more linear patterns. The square and plank tiles shared coastal colour palette of two blues and six neutrals was drawn from the depths of the ocean, and the sun-and-salt-bleached wood and stone found on shore.

Product With a Purpose Reflecting Interfaces abiding Mission Zero promise to eliminate any negative impact it may have on the environment by 2020, Net Effect contains 100 percent recycled content yarn. The yarn is made from various sources including used carpet fluff harvested from Interfaces ReEntry programme, commercial fishing nets and, shortly, nets from the Net-Works project in the Philippines. Since 1995, ReEntry has processed more than 121,000 metric tonnes of used carpet tile and broadloom globally.

As for Net-Works, it provides significant economic benefits to the fishing communities involved, protects marine life and helps clear vulnerable beaches and endangered reefs, thereby providing environmental, economic and social benefits not usually synonymous with carpet tile manufacturing.

Interface will promote Net Effect through a social media engagement campaign that encourages its design audience to share examples of the impact their design and personal choices have on the world around them.

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Net Effect from Interface: Theres beauty in sustainability

Remodeled Rose Hill Rambler, Presented by Dorae Lande, Realtor/Broker Windermere RE
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Remodeled Rose Hill Rambler, Presented by Dorae Lande, Realtor/Broker Windermere RE - Video

JOPLIN, Mo. From Joplins Images in Tile came three larger-than-life murals of John McEnroe, Maria Sharipova and Rafael Nadal.

Paul Whitehill, founder of the local tile production and design company, teamed up with nationally acclaimed sports artist Mike Sullivan of Newport Beach, Calif., to create the first three of many future champions murals honoring greats like McEnroe and the 2013 BNP Paribas Open defending champions, Sharipova and Nadal.

Ive enjoyed working with Mike the past eight years, Whitehill said. Our first project was the Pat Tillman Tribute Mural installed at Sun Devils Stadium at Arizona State University.

Sullivan, whose art has been created for the Super Bowl and the World Series, said it was an honor to be asked to do this major tennis project.

Upon the unveiling on March 1, John McEnroe said: Thank God it was a picture of me when I was young. Nadal was so impressed that he ordered a second mural for his International Tennis Centre in Majorca, Spain.

Larry Ellison, chief executive officer and founder of Oracle and owner of the BNP Paribas Open, along with Raymond Moore, chief executive officer of the tournament, struck a deal with Sullivan and Whitehill to create the 9-foot-by-9-foot murals that were unveiled by the players during the opening week of the tournament.

The 40-year-old tournament in Indian Wells, Calif., draws over 300 of the top players to battle it out for more than $10 million in prize money.

At the March 16 finals, Flavia Pennetta upset Agnieszka Radwanska and Roger Federer fell to Novak Djokovic.

While the 2013 murals will be permanently displayed in the stadiums, the new 2014 winners original canvas portraits will arrive in Joplin where, under Whitehills direction, they will be digitally imaged on tile and then shipped to BNP Paribas for the installation and unveiling during the March 2015 tournament.

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Tennis superstars focus of tile mural

Serenity Caldwell | March 21, 2014

Threes is the kind of game you can pick up almost instantly: It's cute, has great music, and a simple premise. Combine number pairs! Add one and two to make 3! What could be easier?

Threes is the kind of game you can pick up almost instantly: It's cute, has great music, and a simple premise. Combine number pairs! Add one and two to make 3! What could be easier?

Well, from the amount of times my gentleman friend has yelled "I hate this game!" in my general vicinity, probably a few things. I suspect that part of the reason he's been grumping in earshot is that my score is currently 61,000 points higher than his. Whoops.

Here's the thing: Like many strategy games, Threes has both rules and guidelines. The rules are the limits of the game: You can't combine 48 with 24, and 1s can only add with 2s. Guidelines, however, I compare to Blackjack's basic strategy for every move you can make in Threes, there's an optimal way to do it.

I can't claim to have the most optimal way to play Threes, as I'm still missing the last two elusive Threes tiles: the 3072 and the 6144. But I think I'm on the right track. And maybe I can put you there, too.

Before we begin, some basic tips

Most Threes players know the game's basic tips, which are shown to you upon starting the tutorial. But just in case you don't, here are some things to think about when you're playing.

Always line up your 1s and 2s

1s and 2s are trickier than most, as they can only combine with each other. As such, you want to make sure that your board is balanced and you don't have a glut of all 1s in one corner. You also want to be careful that you don't get 1s or 2s trapped between 3s or higher. If you do, my best suggestion is to work vertically to combine numbers upward so that you can free them.

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Get past the 384 tile in Threes (or die trying)

ST. CHARLES The St. Charles Public Library will be closed during its renovation project, beginning Monday and continuing through March 28, according to a news release.

The library, 1 S. Sixth Ave., St. Charles, is scheduled to reopen at 9 a.m. March 29. The closure will include removal of asbestos that the construction crew found in the vinyl composite tile in the Reference/Info Commons area on the librarys ground floor, according to the release.

The tiles are underneath the carpet in the reference area, and neither the public nor the library staff were exposed to the asbestos, Library Director Pam Leffler said.

Its not uncommon ... for this type of material to be found because it was used so prevalently in construction in the past, Leffler said of the asbestos. We just want to make sure were dealing with it in the most responsible manner.

The asbestos was found in an area that was added to the library in 1964. The area was sealed off after the discovery, all renovation work in that section stopped and the tile was tested to be certain asbestos was there, Leffler said.

The actual tiles in question were not disturbed or broken, which is further evidence that this asbestos did not harm anyone, Leffler said.

The librarys computer lab, which is next to the Reference area, still is open and will remain so through Sunday. The standing-only computer terminals right outside the lab will likely be removed by the end of today, Leffler said.

The librarys ongoing renovation project began in February and will include new carpeting in the Carnegie Meeting Room and mezzanine level, additional computer work stations, furniture replacement and retrofitting lights.

Due dates for library materials checked out from now until Monday have an extended loan period and will not be due until the library reopens. Any fines accrued for items due during that week will be waived, the release said.

During the closing, books and media items borrowed from the library may be returned using any of the librarys four outdoor book drop locations.

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St. Charles library to close next week