McKusick/Gila Pottery Tiles

Some of the many McKusick Hummingbird tiles on display Bullion Plaza Cultural Center and Museum, a true gem of a regional museum located in Miami, AZ, is housed in the Bullion Plaza School, which was opened as a grammar school in 1923. Regional exhibits focus on minerals and geology, mining, Slavic, Native American and Mexican culture, ranching, dignitaries and military. And McKusick tiles! The staff and volunteers are a great group - always welcoming, helpful and enthusiastic! The McKusick tile room has a fantastic display of tiles including birds and animals, a case dedicated to Hopi White Bear, and another case dedicated to the wildlife tiles made for displays at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Included in the Arboretum case are tiles that are not currently on display at the Arboretum. There is also a case of pottery made by the McKusicks. A few of the McKusick/Hopi White Bear tiles on display In addition, this one-of-a-kind exhibit includes tile molds, tools, stamps used to sign the ti...

Mckusick tiles at Boyce Thompson Arboretum Another great place to see McKusick tiles is at Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, AZ. Founded in 1924, the arboretum has almost 5 miles of trails and 135 acres of gardens. Desert plants can be seen from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Madagascar, India, China, Japan, Israel, South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Arabian Peninsula. A combination of desert, aquatic and riparian environments ensures the presence of a wide variety of native wildlife.  Photos from a visit in June, 2023. The McKusick tiles are on display throughout the arboretum in information kiosks and on the Ayer Lake overlook. Currently there are 52 tiles on display including water fowl, birds, insects, reptiles, fish and mammals. Many of these tiles cannot be seen in any other public installations.  Some of the panels have been undergoing ...

One of the best places to see McKusick tiles is at the Sabino Canyon visitor center in Tucson, AZ. There are two sets of posts outside the visitor center that have a total of 47 tiles, including many tiles you won't find anywhere else. It's a fantastic display of native birds, animals and reptiles.  It is disappointing that the McKusicks are not credited for the production of the tiles. Two plaques thank those who contributed the funds to make the display possible, but no mention is made of the makers. Here are a few of the tiles: Verdin Black-chinned Hummingbird Canyon Towhee Bewick's Wren Lesser Goldfinch Canyon Wren Javelina Regal Horned Lizard Pyrrhuloxia

Besides the Quail tiles, the other most popular tiles were the Roadrunners. Here are some of the designs produced over the years.  The first is the limited edition Roadrunner tile.  The second is a 12" tile, one of twelve designs initially created for a bank in Scottsdale, AZ. The tiles have since been removed. I've only seen the Roadrunner, Owls and Quails from this series.  The final tile, for contrast, is one of the Roadrunners produced by Desert House Crafts. Limited edition McKusick Roadrunner tile 12" Roadrunner tile A Desert House Crafts Roadrunner tile