Santa Maria Veterans Memorial

At the Santa Maria Veterans Memorial, ARTO's Monrovia 12x12 tile in an unglazed finish ties the building to its grounds. Across the front plaza, bands of the warm red clay tile cut through the concrete in a large grid, crossing at the corners and leading the eye toward the arched red doors and tower of the white Spanish Revival hall. The same tile wraps the flagpole garden and runs along the side walks. Around the back, Monrovia paves the entry landings and a pergola-covered walkway, where the sun throws striped shadows across the floor. Unglazed, the tile shows its natural earthen color and gentle variation, a quiet match for the memorial's plaster walls and clay roof.