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OHIO ceramics program to build community through inaugural atmospheric firing conference
Visiting artists will offer hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for students, faculty and alumni in early June.
Julia Weber, BSJ 25 | May 30, 2025
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The Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts ceramics program is sparking collaboration and fueling a sense of community through next weeks inaugural .
From June 4 to 11, artists will convene at OHIOs outdoor ceramic kiln facility to collaborate on highly sought-after atmospheric firing techniques, working together to experiment and innovate. The conference will also include a public gallery reception at , which Gair co-founded, on Tuesday, June 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., which will showcase previous works made by the events visiting artists.
For assistant professor of ceramics Stuart Gair, BS 12, the event is an unparalleled experiential learning opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students.
Theres going to be a lot of cross-pollinationnot just for participants, but for artists [in attendance]to see other approaches to firing, but also to make connections, Gair said. I havent met most of these artists, so Im really excited to meet them, get to know them and talk about the intricacies of firing processes body reduction.
Atmospheric firing is a process in which outside elementssuch as sodium carbonate or wood ashare introduced into a kiln while glazed pottery is being fired, creating a chemical reaction with the glaze that results in unique surface variation on the piece. This method is much less predictable than gas or electric kiln firings and can have a wide variety of effects.
The conference will host nine simultaneous kiln firings on OHIOs outdoor kiln pad. Each of the events visiting artists is experienced in a specific area of atmospheric firing and will guide participants through their firing process.
All you can do is learn from other peoples techniques, said Gair. All of these kilns are going to be fired at the same time, but theyre such different approaches and so particular to the artist firing them.
Attendees will have additional opportunities to learn about the atmospheric firing process by loading and unloading kilns and participating in kiln supervision shifts.
Theres an innate community-building aspect in atmospheric firing, said Sam McCall, MFA 27. It takes a village to fire these kilns.
McCall and Jason Wang, MFA 25, are two graduate students leading the development of the event, which aims to connect undergraduates, graduates and alumni of the program.
When I was in undergrad, having visiting artists come through was always super informative for me, McCall added. Those were some really influential experiences of being able to talk and interact with those artists.
Wang and McCall view the conference as a networking opportunity for students, faculty, alumni and visiting artists, with the hope that it inspires students to collaborate in the future based on shared interests.
A lot of the undergraduate students just dont know each other, even if theyre interested in the same things, Wang said. To me, this symposium is about building a community in the ceramics department so people can share ideas and work together.
Though atmospheric firing is regaining popularity in the world of ceramics, undergraduate students dont always have opportunities to learn such niche firing techniques. The 窪蹋勛圖 Atmospheric Conference offers an opportunity to learn from top artists in the field and continue to innovate firing practices in their own work.
Theres a resurgence in atmospheric firing, and people are pushing the boundaries [of what they can do with it], Gair said. I think its going to be great to see that happening all in one place and meet a lot of people, build community and have a good time.