Artists Turn the Heat Up

By Lucas Burns

On Tuesday, the fifth of November, Artists from across North America, and the globe joined Dr. Scott Meyers and visiting artist Richard Hirsh in the 6th semi-annual firing of Montevallo's Anagama Kiln. This high-fire tradition dates back to when Meyers and his dedicated students built the giant  kiln in 2002.

The Kiln itself is the largest of its kind in North America, boating a total length of Over 40 feet. This allows a greater amount of ceramics to be fired at once and also more wood to be loaded. 

The firing process takes a total of a hundred straight hours. Students are given four hour shifts monitoring and feeding the kiln pre-split wood. The work payed off in a massive flame that reached a total of 2700 degrees. At this point pieces were systematically removed and doused in a variety

 of different chemicals and glazes. Each piece will hopefully come out looking immensely  different, and its this spirit of experimentation that drives Meyers and his students on. Be sure to learn more about the history of anagama kilns and check into everything artistic in Montevallo.