Edith Heath

Edith Kiertzner Heath (May 24, 1911 – December 27, 2005) was an American studio potter and founder of Heath Ceramics. The company, well known for its mid-century modern ceramic tableware, including "Heathware," and architectural tiles, is still operating in Sausalito, California, after being founded in 1948.

Life and education Edith Heath ceramic canister.Kiertzner was born on May 24, 1911, in Ida Grove, Iowa forty miles east of Sioux City, Iowa. Edith was the second born in a family with a total of seven children. She experimented with mixing various metals into the clay mixture to achieve different properties. She collected various West Coast clay bodies Heath's continued experimentation led to her becoming an expert in how different clay types affected aesthetic qualities of her wares. She also developed custom glazes, including the speckle glaze that was innovative at the time. A buyer from San Francisco retailer Gumps approached Edith to supply their store with her high quality hand-thrown pottery using the company's pottery studio. She accepted the opportunity, while continuing to work in her own studio. Major retailers began to order tableware, which required Heath to develop ways to manufacture her pieces from her design rather than create them by hand. Edith Heath died on December 27, 2005, at her home in Tiburon, California.

Tableware

Edith Heath is known for making domestic items. a line which remains in demand and has been in constant production. Originally the collection was offered in colors such as sand, sage, blue, aqua, and apricot "Rim", as its name implies, had an unglazed outer rim. It was favored by restaurants because the rim made the pieces easy to carry and the pieces stacked securely.

Architectural tile Exterior of Norton Simon Museum highlighting Heath's tile used on the building. Later in her career she grew her practice into tiles and building materials as developed the idea of fire-resistant products. This idea came to her after a fire took place in 1991 in Oakland, California which destroyed many homes and killed 25 people. The distinctive and modern curvilinear exterior facade is faced in 115,000 glazed tiles, in varying brown tones with an undulating surface, made by Edith Heath. They are part of the backdrop many see when viewing the New Year's Rose Parade. Heath was awarded the American Institute of Architects Industrial Arts Medal for this work. It was the first time the medal had been given to a non-architect. She also collaborated with architects Eero Saarinen, Alexander Girard, Kevin Roche, and William Pereira. The film was directed by Chris Metzler and Quinn Costello, and explored the history and influence of Edith Heath, including her continuing legacy at Heath Ceramics today. The film was honored by the LA Press Club at the 2019 National Arts and Entertainment Awards where the film won first-place recognition in the Documentary or Special Program Feature (over 30 minutes) category. Edith Heath: Tabletop Modernist, Pasadena Museum of California Art, May 31-September 20, 2009 Co-curated by the OMCA and Heath expert Jennifer Volland.

Push Backs

Edith was asked to leave the San Francisco Potters' Association because she believe that mechanically produced pieces created from a manual prototype was just as authentic as the original.