Page 6 - 4170 Discover
P. 6

Discover Tyler County 2018 - Pg. 6



































           This large tile panel hung for many years in the Woodville Elementary school, who donated it to the Village.

           old Midway Schoolhouse, eventually became the Pick-       developed of a unique under glazing technique for
           ett House Restaurant. His art became his way to fund      making paintings on tile. His many paintings on tile
           further expansion of the Village.                         became hugely popular, and these framed tiles, of all
                                                                     sizes, grace the walls of many homes, including his
            Gray’s claim to fame, though, was the process he         own home, which has become part of Heritage Village
                                                                     Museum.

                                                                     The home came up for sale years ago; but, at that time
                                                                     the Village could not afford to buy it. When it came up
                                                                     for sale again, Willis said, they just could not pass it
                                                                     up.

                                                                     “The home was in bad shape and needed a lot of
                                                                     work,” Willis explained. “But when we saw that mural,
                                                                     we just couldn’t pass it up. It was also an opportunity
                                                                     to add to the Village property.”

                                                                     So they bought the house and started working on it. “It
                                                                     was many, many hours of labor to bring the house to
                                                                     where it is now,” Willis said. It was full of “stuff” and
                                                                     very dirty. Everything needed to be cleaned and paint-
                                                                     ed. “It took months, because the work was volunteer.”
                                                                     All the work payed off, as you will see when you visit
                                                                     the museum. “We first toyed with the idea of making
                                                                     it a bed and breakfast, but ultimately decided it would
                                                                     be better used to house Clyde’s art work,” Willis said.
                                                                     “Every piece of art in the house is Clyde Gray’s.”

                                                                     The house has many pieces, large and small, of his
                                                                     tiles, many owned by the Village and other’s donated
                                                                     by individuals. “We’re continually searching for more
                                                                     of Clyde’s art work. When someone donates, we make
                                                                     a plaque to accompany it that says who it was donated
                                                                     by,” Willis explained. The collection also includes one
                                                                     of Clyde’s oil paintings and several watercolors.
                                                                                                        Continued on Pg. 10
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11