Sisters business lands Disney contract

Longtime Sisters resident and local artist Susanne Redfield has landed a major contract with Disney.

Redfield has been in the hand-painted tile industry creating patterns and ceramics as the owner of Kibak Tile for over 30 years, and the founder of her showroom and studio, Studio Redfield, in Sisters. Born of Danish decent and raised in Southern California, Redfield grew up surrounded by mid-century Danish designers in all mediums.

She originally worked with Disney in 1991 as they were building several new resort properties in Orlando, Florida.

"We did themed tiles for eight or nine of their new swimming pools," Redfield said. "We worked with their designers and got to work making those big pools."

After 20-plus years, many of the outdoor pools are in need of refurbishment and Disney loved Redfield's designs so much they sought her out to recreate tiles from two of the original pools.

Redfield and her team, which includes local artists and employees Laura Fouts and Maren Burck, as well as her daughter Carli Strachan and her mother Gudrun Kibak, have been working long hours to screen and handpaint the 2,000 tiles requested for this job.

"It's been fun to have Disney come back," Redfield said. "To have the tiles stand the test of time and have Disney be a satisfied customer and come back."

Redfield's tiles will be in the pools at both the Disney Old Key West Resort and at Alligator Bayou pool within Disney's Port Orleans Resort.

The tiles have unique patterns. Some include alligators for the Alligator Bayou pool.

When Redfield had the original contract she was operating out of a 5,000-square-foot industrial space, giving her plenty of room for creating her work and for shipping and receiving. Her office, now on Hood Avenue, is less than 1,000 square feet - and that makes this project more difficult to complete.

"The logistics of getting all the supplies to Sisters within such a short period of time has been challenging," said Redfield. "I'm hoping we get some clear weather so we can get the pallets outside to be picked up for shipment so the tiles aren't buried in the snow."

Studio Redfield, her Sisters studio and workspace, has adjusted hours since the contract came in. Recently they have only been open Thursday, Friday and Saturday while the team of artists dutifully hand-paint all 2,000 tiles.

"This project is on the larger side," said Redfield. "The tiles for the first pool are due at the end of this month and the next pool is due in the middle of January. I know it looks like we've been closed," she continues, "but we're here and always available by appointment."

Community members can stop by and view the tiles before they're shipped out to Disney at the end of the month. To set up an appointment call Studio Redfield at 541-588-6332.