New Life for Oakland Cathedral's historic artwork

Artistic License members salvage historic elements for Oakland's new Cathedral of Christ the Light


<--St.Simon, stained glass from the Cathedral St. Francis de Sales, restored by Reflection Studios

Prior to the demolition of Oakland's former cathedral, Saint Francis de Sales, Allen Dragge's Reflection Studios was hired to safely remove all the stained glass windows. CMA Conversion Management Associates, worked on behalf of architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to facilitate the restoration and installation of historic architectural elements in the new building. The stained glass panels have now been reinstalled in the mausoleum of the new cathedral, each one backlit and surrounded by a field of translucent onyx.

Reflection Studios also salvaged a sculptural ceramic mural which had been mounted on the wall at St. Francis de Sales. This ceramic panel resided in storage crates from 1993 until 2008. CMA contracted with guild members Diane Winters and Riley Doty to restore and install this colorful piece of ceramic art. It consists of thirty pieces, many sculpted in high relief and weighing as much as fifty pounds. Some pieces suffered damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and from the removal process. (One section repaired by Diane had been broken into fourteen separate pieces!)

Diane Winters working on repairs to the tile mural

This artwork dates from 1962, executed by the Rambusch firm, commissioned for installation at St. Francis de Sales at the time of its consecration as the cathedral for the diocese of Oakland. The artwork seems to express that time in history, immediately following Vatican II. Several historic changes were initiated then, including saying Mass in many native languages instead of universally in Latin. The spirit of reaching out to diverse cultures seems reflected in this ceramic piece, which features traditionally executed scenes from the life of St. Francis de Sales, but with background patterns that suggests ethnic arts such as weaving or basketry. As a whole this lovely piece truly is a relic of the church's history, even though its origin is relatively recent in the larger scheme of things.

Riley Doty, working on repairs to the tile mural

In its original configuration the entire piece measured 10.5 feet high and over 5 feet wide. When Doty and Winters laid out the mural "dry" on the floor of the storage warehouse the architects from SOM were initially disappointed to observe these dimensions because the space they had in mind for it had a nine foot ceiling. SOM, working with Father Paul Minnihan from the cathedral, developed a wonderful solution to this problem. The restored mural was installed as a relic, with the main body attached to a specially constructed backing which hangs a few inches away from the back wall. The remaining sections sit adjacent, artfully placed on podiums, and the whole makes up a lovely composition.

Restored tile mural fragments, displayed in the new cathedral.

This composition is displayed as part of the Donor Wall. Both this and the stained glass in the mausoleum reside on the ground level, one floor below the cathedral. A visit to the sanctuary above is a must-see for first time visitors. The space created by architect Craig Hartman of SOM is breathtakingly beautiful and at the same time calm and serene.

--- Riley Doty

AL members featured in Old House Interiors

Cover Story!

Check out the December 2008 issue of Old House Interiors on newstands now, which features the work of a number of Artistic License artisans.

In this cover illustration the art glass windows by Theodore Ellison, fireplace tilework designed by Paul Duchscherer, tiles made by Diane Winters, tilework installed by Riley Doty.
Elsewhere in this same house are built-ins and furniture designed and built by Debey Zito, and interior painting by Robert Dufort of Magic Brush.

Amazing baths in Old House Journal

Beautiful Bathrooms for the Period Home

Master tilesetter Riley Doty is featured in this well-illustrated article in Old House Journal.

"The bathroom in Becky Waring's 1906 Berkeley, California, brown-shingle cottage—a house some attribute to Julia Morgan—was dingy, with linoleum on the floor and unappealing 1970s white tile set in stained grout. "I wanted the bath to look as nice as the rest of the house, while maintaining historical authenticity," Becky explains. So she researched period bathrooms everywhere she could, and did extensive product scouting. "It didn't matter if the fixtures were cheap or pricey," she says. "They had to look right." She also found Riley Doty, a master tilesetter with the San Francisco-based restoration group Artistic License, to help guide her."



The WC in Becky Waring's circa 1906 bungalow, tiled by Riley Doty
photo from Old House Journal.

Tiles and Terra Cotta in "Uptown Oakland"

Check out this cool event with our own Riley Doty


You are invited to join Riley Doty and the Oakland Heritage Alliance for "Tiles and Terra Cotta in Uptown Oakland"
Sunday August 24, 2008
A Walking Tour and Benefit for Oakland Heritage Alliance *
Time: 2 - 1/2 hours; Fairly easy walking

<---- the Howden Building, Oakland, photo by Daniel Martinez


We will survey Oakland's glorious legacy of architectural ceramics, viewing about 20 examples dating from years 1914 - 1931.

Particular attention will given to the preservation needs of terra cotta. Some buildings have been treated very well and others rather badly; we will learn by example about some of the problems of maintenance and
restoration of this wonderful material.

Meet at the Howden Building at 17th St. & Webster St. in Oakland
Tour begins at 10:00 a.m.
Come early to register and to view the Howden Building's tilework. We will try to have the entire interior open - not just the restaurant space.

Cost: $15.00 / * $10.00 for OHA members.
Free admission to anyone who joins OHA on the day of the tour.
easy street parking on Sunday / 5 minute walk from 19th Ave BART station.