Cha-Rie Tang: 48 Years of Artistic Innovation in Pasadena exhibition by Marlyn Woo/Joanne Wilborn.
“A friend stumbled across some original Ernest Batchelder plaster tile molds buried in his backyard.”
That discovery transformed Cha-Rie Tang’s creative journey and led her to found Pasadena Craftsman Tile in 2000.
On Thursday, Nov. 20 at 11 a.m., Tang will guide visitors through “Cha-Rie Tang: 48 Years of Artistic Innovation in Pasadena” at the Pasadena Museum of History.
“This exhibition is like a lifetime’s achievement,” Tang said at the October 4 opening. “The pieces include what I started out doing which were pencil drawings and posters, dance posters and done a lot of architecture and architectural renderings. One of the things that I started in tiles was the Batchelder tiles. My tiles depict nature the same way that Ernest Batchelder used nature as his inspiration. I have pivoted to doing glass. So now I do everything from drawings to ceramic tiles and glass.”
Born in Taiwan in 1951, Tang earned degrees from MIT and the University of Colorado, Boulder.
The exhibition, running through Jan. 18, showcases vibrant fused glass pieces, high-relief ceramic tiles and framed designs organized into six thematic sections.
Tang’s public art commissions include the “River of Time” installation at Monrovia’s Gold Line Metro station and tile work for the Pasadena A.R.T. Bus featuring Pasadena City Hall and the Colorado Street Bridge.
“Nature is my inspiration. It is glorious and full of lessons for us,” Tang said.
Her daughter Mei-Ling has joined the family business. Tang will return as Artist in Residence at the museum in 2026.
Curator’s Tour | Cha-Rie Tang: 48 Years of Artistic Innovation in Pasadena will run on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 11 a.m. Pasadena Museum of History, 470 West Walnut Street, in Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 577-1660 or visit https://pasadenahistory.org/events/curators-tour-cha-rie-tang-48-years-of-artistic-innovation-in-pasadena-2/. Tickets: General $18; PMH Members $13
