Perico Gallery - Avalon, CA
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 33° 20.664 W 118° 19.607
11S E 376536 N 3690254
This art gallery, tucked away in the Metropole Market on Catalina Island, features the unique Catalina Tile as well as a range of watercolors and prints, many depicting island scenes.
Waymark Code: WM6Y9E
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 08/05/2009
Views: 1
From the store web site:
"A unique art and gift gallery featuring watercolors and prints of Catalina Island. A wonderful selection of note cards, ceramics, interesting picture frames and one of a kind gifts. Also, the exclusive vocation, of the famous Catalina Tile.
William Wrigley purchased Santa Catalina Island in 1919. He had a vision of a magic island to draw tourists from the mainland. As development occurred it was soon discovered that the island harbored great quantities of red clays. The clays were tested and determined to be ideal for building materials. As construction with clay materials commenced, a natural interest among the workers for art tile and pottery was created, thus producing the beautiful ambiance of decorative tiles on roofs, buildings, stairways, and fountains throughout the city of Avalon. The tile-manufacturing plant's largest and most important project was the Casino; this masterpiece is the landmark of Catalina.
The Santa Catalina Island Company tile and pottery plant was in operation from 1927 to 1937. Its work and style achieved a strong interest and a following on the mainland. Advertisements in newspapers and magazines, as well as catalogues, were distributed offering the art tile and pottery for sale. Unfortunately, with the Great Depression, the plant was no longer profitable and was sold to Gladding McBean on the mainland. Today, Catalina pottery and tile is sought by those with fond memories of visits to the island, and by those intrigued by its unique beauty."
Perico Gallery