The Society spent the month of August celebrating the unique connection between Benicia’s rich history and its vibrant public art scene, with a special focus on the Granizo tile art on First Street. The society’s activities highlighted the importance of preserving the city's heritage through education and community engagement.

The month-long initiative kicked off with "A-Tile-A-Day," a social media campaign on the Society’s Facebook page. Each day, a new post provided detailed information about one of the 28 Granizo tiles, engaging the community with daily insights into the art and history of the project.

On August 2, the Benicia Historical Society and the Museum of History Benicia co-hosted a special event at the Museum's Stone Hall. The event brought together knowledgeable figures involved in the Granizo Art Tile project, including artist Ron Wagner’s son, former Mayor Jerry Hayes, and Dr. Kerry K. Carney, who shared their research and provided context on the meaning of the tiles.

Two weeks later, on August 16, the Society sponsored a highly anticipated semi-guided tour of the tiles. Docents stationed at each of the 28 tiles offered further insight and historical context, providing participants with beautiful cards featuring an image of the tile on one side and a detailed description on the reverse. The images of all 28 tiles and their accompanying text are available here.

"The overwhelming response to these events shows the community's deep interest in our shared history," said Benicia Historical Society president, Belinda Smith. "Through projects like these, the Benicia Historical Society continues to fulfill its mission to bring together people interested in the history of Benicia and California and to preserve our heritage for future generations."

The Society extends special thanks to Dr. Carney and Anastasia Heuer for their vision and execution of the "Month of Tiles," and to all the enthusiastic volunteers who made the events possible.