Creative fires are burning at Clay Conference and Pottery and Kiln Festival

The Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society’s anagama kiln will be opened and unloaded after the winter's firing on Saturday, February 13 during the First Annual Gulf Coast Clay Conference. The Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society is hosting two exciting events in the month of February – The Woodstoke Pottery and Kiln Festival on February 13 and the Gulf Coast Clay Conference on February 11-13.

Get out and see what kind of creative fires might be burning inside of you.

To get you in the spirit of creating pottery, here is a brief background explanation of the anagama and the process used to operate one for pottery production.

Wood-burning kilns produce colors and effects that can’t be accomplished by other firing methods. For natural ash glazes, potters prefer the wood-burning anagama, for it produces fly ash, which settles on the pieces, melts, and creates a natural ash glaze that cannot be achieved with any other type of firing.

The anagama (a Japanese term meaning "cave kiln") is an ancient type of wood-burning pottery kiln dating back to the 5th century. Today there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of potters using an anagama in Japan. However, it has only been in the West for the past 20 or 30 years.

The Gulf Coast witnessed the inaugural firing of an anagama kiln on December 3, 2005 constructed by the Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society in Navarre. Since then, the grounds have become a revolving door to local artists, reknowned potters, residents, and tourists interested in the ancient art of the kiln.

Once lit, the anagama requires round-the-clock care and feeding. A team of about 20 will work in fourto six-hour shifts adding wood and monitoring the fire contained within the kiln. Workers will drop about six cords of wood into the kiln throughout the weeklong firing process. The anagama will cool for about a week leading up to the ceremonial kiln opening.

Woodstoke Pottery and Kiln Festival

The 2010 Woodstoke Pottery and Kiln Festival will feature the opening and uloading of the Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society’s anagama winter firing on Saturday, February 13. This event is open to the public, as well as, Gulf Coast Clay Conference attendees. Hours of the event are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m at the Kiln Walk Society site, Navarre, at Highway 87 and Buckeye Drive.

For more information, call (850) 939-2744 or visit www.gulfcoastkilnwalk. org

Gulf Coast Clay Conference

The Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society presents The First Annual Gulf Coast Clay Conference, a conference for wood fired pottery, kilns and woodfire glazes February 11, 12, and 13. Experience demonstrations, a slide show, a talk on glazes, a handle workshop and a vendor hall with products for clay arts.

John Britt will visit and demonstrate and talk on glazes; he will present a slideshow Thursday evening. and continue demonstrations on Friday.

Noted PJC art professor and clay artist Bill Clover will host a workshop entitled "Can you handle it?" Friday afternoon at 1 p.m.

Gulf Coast area artists Patrick Bodine, Steve Dark, Anne Webb and Jason Stokes will demonstrate Friday.

The conference will be held at the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, Bldg 15, Pensacola Junior College (PJC) 1000 College Blvd, Pensacola, FL and the Kiln Walk Society site in Navarre at Highway 87 and Buckeye Drive. Registration is $95 (or $25 for full-time degree students) and limited to 25 students and 120 regular attendees!

For more information, call Sara Z. at (850) 939- 7972 or (850) 393-7311.