Woodfire
Facilities & Opportunities at The Clay Studio of Missoula
About Our Woodfire Program & Facilities
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The Clay Studio of Missoula has access to wood kilns just outside of Missoula, about a 15-minute drive away from the Clay Studio. Our Anagama kiln was built in 2007 is approximately 720 cubic feet, and usually fires for 5-8 days. There is also a smaller cross-draft kiln at the site that was built in 2016 that can take up to 2-3 days to fire. Wood firings are not scheduled during periods of fire danger (approximately late May through mid-October) and/or stage 3 air quality alerts.
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In order to fire in our kilns, you must be a member, student enrolled in a Woodfire Class, or guest at a special event. Anagama classes are held in the Fall (firing in November) and Winter (firing in March) and in the late Spring in alternating years . We occasionally offer classes for firing the smaller cross draft kiln. Please visit our Woodfire Class and Event Information below for upcoming firing opportunities.
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The Clay Studio of Missoula maintains one residency opportunity dedicated to a year-long wood fire residency. This opportunity may also be extended into a second year upon approval. Interested applicants should have a strong, developed body of work; have previous experience firing wood kilns; feel comfortable directing firings; possess a strong work ethic, and have a desire to work within a community setting. To learn more about our residency program and how to apply, please visit our Residency Information Page.
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WOODFIRE CLASSES & EVENTS
Spring Wood Fire Offerings
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Instructor: Kayla Noble, Wood Fire Resident Artist
Workshop: Intro to Firing the Small Wood Kiln
Ideal for those needing instruction and access to facilities. Prior experience with ceramics expected – this class is not for beginning level students
Sundays - Varied Meeting Time, See Below
April 6 - May 23 + firing
Instructor: Kayla Noble
$340 members/$355 non-members
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Need a place to dive into the world of wood firing, but seeking something more approachable than the powerful, massive Anagama our program is known for? This workshop is a set of sessions sure to set you in the right direction! Learn about the practice of wood firing, and learn to fire the smaller cross draft wood kiln as a class. You can do it with a small team in a weekend! It's a great way to enter the world of wood fire pottery and get a taste before jumping in to longer, more complex firings. You'll get guidance on creating work to make the best of the cross draft kiln in this workshop with some instruction and check-in days, then the class will prepare and fire the kiln together. For those with intermediate skill, and those new to woodfiring and in need of instruction. We will cover the basics of woodfiring, strategies and considerations for making for the woodkiln, glaze and slip use, introduction to skills, tools, and safety considerations for wood prep. This class meets both at the clay studio and kilnside. Final firing will be suitable for functional pottery.
Students are expected to work independently outside of meeting sessions to create work enough to fill roughly 3 cubic feet of space inside of the small cross draft wood kiln.
All students are expected to attend wood prep days, and will be responsible for putting in shifted time during the firing to stoke the kiln.
PLEASE READ DATES AND TIMES BELOW CAREFULLY: Some variance between meetings.
Meeting 1 Sunday 4/6 10am -12:30pm (main studio classroom)
Meeting 2 Sunday 4/20 10am-12:30pm work check in/ set firing shifts (main studio classroom)
Meeting 3 Sunday 4/27 10-1+ woodprep and kiln site orientation (wood kiln site)
Meeting 4 Sunday 5/4 10-1+ woodprep and safety cont (wood kiln site)
Meeting 5 Sunday 5/11 10-12:30pm Glazing (main studio classroom)
Meeting 6 5/23 10am- complete loading (wood kiln site)
Firing Saturday- Sunday 5/24- 5/25th (wood kiln site)
Unload/ Clean up Thursday 5/29 10am- complete (wood kiln site
Special Workshop: Small Wood Kiln, Guided Firing Only
$300 members/$315 non-members
In this workshop, bring your own bisqued work to help fill the kiln and get a guided tour through the firing process, so you can learn handling the smaller cross draft wood kiln. You'll leave this special session with the tools and skills to organize your own firings in this smaller wood kiln.
Outside of Class Requirements PLEASE READ CAREFULLY, MEETING TIME VARIES
Meeting 1 Sunday 4/13 10am-12:30pm (at studio): discuss firing objectives, desired results, set shift schedule as a group
Meeting 2 Sunday 4/27 10-1pm+ (kiln site) Wood prep: Site orientation and safety considerations
Meeting 3 Sunday 5/4 10-1pm+ (kiln site) Wood prep: discuss wood storage considerations
Loading Friday 5/16 10am- complete (kiln site)
Firing Saturday- Sunday 5/17- 5/18 (will be broken into shifts)
Unload/ Clean up Thursday 5/22 10am- complete
Participants will work as a cooperative community striving for a shared experience of learning with an emphasis on safety and communication. The small cross draft wood kiln is located at a remote site, approximately 8 miles outside of town. Students should be prepared to fire in all weather conditions.
We ask that students comply with all of our health and safety guidelines. A student waiver will be issued during the first kiln meeting with the most up-to-date guidance.
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LEARN MORE & REGISTER FOR WOOD FIRING OPPORTUNITIES ON OUR ADULT CLASS PAGE