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Photo Albums

Ceramics Firing

a group of people looking at a pottery

Professor Calisch's Art 123 class prepares for three different types of
outdoor ceramic firing. Each student chose among 16 different Pueblo
communities and researched the role of ceramics in those communities.


Once the student had chosen a community, he then made ceramic pieces
using the same techniques, and the students were expected to know the
ceramic style, techniques used, function, decoration patterns, and scale
of the work they created.

a man talking to another man

Senior art major Nick Roudebush explains one of the three firing techniques — a barrel firing.

a man holding a can

Roudebush shows the potential results of firing with different
"treatments" such as salt, dog food, leaves, and Miracle Gro -- even a
very special nickel.

a man putting a leaf on a plate

Students prepare their pieces for the barrel firing.

men working in the dirt

Professor Calisch works with students to lay the foundation in the pit before firing the pieces.

a man and woman looking at a fire pit

Adding more wood to the foundation.

a group of pottery on a pile of wood

One pit full of pieces is ready to be covered.

a group of men putting tins on a fire pit

The pieces need to be covered by metal first...

a group of men putting rocks on a grill

Then students pile on the cow dung...

a group of men standing around a pile of firewood

Once the pieces are in place, the firing process begins.

a group of men around a fire

It is important to keep the fires bruning at a very high temperature. Click here to see photos from after the firing.

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