Mayor Christy Weir Honors Michael Kelly with January 2009 Beautify Ventura Award

City Of Ventura News Realese, Jan. 22, 2009
Contact: Mayor’s Office, 805-654-7827
Anne Hallock, 805-658-4739


Mayor Christy Weir will honor California Pottery and Tile Works(CPTW) owner Michael Kelly with the Beautify Ventura Award during the next City Council meeting Monday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. in City Hall, 501 Poli Street. Kelly will be recognized for his efforts to aesthetically enhance the city of Ventura, particularly his creation of tile facades on historic buildings in the downtown cultural district. “Michael’s craftsmanship is a rare gift to our community,” said Mayor Weir. “His tile work is designed with a timeless quality, and will continue to grace our public spaces for many decades. We are so grateful to have his work beautify Ventura.” Kelly coowns California Pottery and Tile Works along with Sean Mclean and Desmond Mclean, a local firm that follows the Malibu and Catalina Potteries tile making and decoration tradition perfected in the early 20th century. CPTW serves private and commercial clientele. Kelly is a European-trained oil paint fine artist, and an expert in fine art ceramic production. Before joining the Ventura community in 1992, Kelly honed his craft as a fine artist, designer and handmade ceramicist across the globe, including a 12-year stint in Latin America under Mexican master Rufino Tamayo. In Ventura, Kelly’s work can be seen on the facade of the Star Lounge, the facade of the Jersey Mike’s building, which was the original Ventura Post Office, the facade of the Red Brick Gallery, the Hobson Heights monument signs, Cafe Fiore, the Park Avenue town houses, and Westside Cellars. He recently completed restoration of the facade of the newly opened Watermark Restaurant. “I’m so pleased to receive the Beautify Ventura Award. My company and I never compromise quality. We only involve ourselves in projects that combine the high concept goals of the client and our ability to execute a higher quality of product,” said Kelly. “I would not be able to do what I do without the patronage and inspiration of those who take the risk to go the extra mile in this town, individuals who risk their money to give back to the City and make it possible to create historical beauty.Those people include Kelly Briglio, Jimmy Mesa, Mark Hartley, Dan Frederickson and Maria Fiore.” Next up in Ventura, CPTW will install a historical mural in a new building downtown. He also has installations upcoming at the Santa Barbara Zoo, Music Academy of the West in Montecito, and the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills.