PEOPLE

Everyone at Foundry Art has the soul of an artist and the sense of responsibility of a ship's captain.

Ted Lowitz

Founder and Designer, Tile Maker

Ted studied art and religious studies as an undergraduate at Brown University, and received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Ted's winding path to tilemaking included stops as Assistant to the Curator of the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, drawing instructor and retail furniture salesman. In 1990 he decided to start a business that would be rooted in his artwork. His longstanding fascination with abstract patterns and a momentary urge to muck around in clay led him to tilemaking. Ted's love of pattern is genetic — his grandfather was an inveterate pattern doodler, and his grandmother was a painter. He comes from three generations of retailers, so keeping customers happy is in his genes, too.

Jim Stevens

General Manager, Tile Maker

Before coming to Lowitz & Company, Jim was director of the syndicated political TV talk show "Beyond the Beltway." Jim is the rare person who understands urgency and deadlines, and yet remains a wellspring of serenity. He oversees every aspect of our tile production from logistics to quality control. He also maintains our relationships with our showrooms. Most importantly, Jim's great patience and helpful spirit insure that our work is imbued with kindness every step of the way.

Stacza Lipinski

Special Projects Manager, Design Assistant,
Tile Maker

When Stacza received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Ohio State University, her thesis exhibition was a festive menagerie of pipe cleaner snowflakes and colorful paper hats. In addition to her considerable artistic talent, Stacza is the kind of person who likes getting to cross things off her To Do list, which is a gift to us all. You can see some of Stacza's artwork at staczalipinski.com.

Thomas Corley

Production Manager, Tile Maker

Thomas's kindness and insightfulness were apparent from the moment he walked in our door. He quickly became a critical member of our staff, with a wide range of talents and skills. Along with working full-time in our studio, Thomas writes and performs original music and is completing his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology.

Michael Salinas

Display Manager, Tile Maker

Michael is a native of New Orleans and has been a part of our crew since 2007. His great optimism and warmth are matched by his strong instincts for materials and his patience with the finest details. When he is not in our studio, you can often find Michael on stage. As a theatre and film actor, Michael has performed with several of Chicago's most highly regarded theater companies.