OHIO ceramics program to build community through inaugural atmospheric firing conference

The Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts’ ceramics program is sparking collaboration and fueling a sense of community through next week’s inaugural Ohio University Atmospheric Conference.

From June 4 to 11, artists will convene at OHIO’s 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 Canaanville Arts Center, which Gair co-founded, on Tuesday, June 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., which will showcase previous works made by the event’s visiting artists.

For assistant professor of ceramics Stuart Gair, BS ’12, the event is an unparalleled experiential learning opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students.

“There’s going to be a lot of cross-pollination—not just for participants, but for artists [in attendance]—to see other approaches to firing, but also to make connections,” Gair said. “I haven’t met most of these artists, so I’m 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 elements—such as sodium carbonate or wood ash—are 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 OHIO’s outdoor kiln pad. Each of the event’s 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 they’re such different approaches and so particular to the artist firing them.”

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Attendees will have additional opportunities to learn about the atmospheric firing process by loading and unloading kilns and participating in kiln supervision shifts.

“There’s 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 don’t know each other, even if they’re 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 don’t always have opportunities to learn such niche firing techniques. The Ohio University Atmospheric Conference offers an opportunity to learn from top artists in the field and continue to innovate firing practices in their own work.

“There’s a resurgence in atmospheric firing, and people are pushing the boundaries [of what they can do with it],” Gair said. “I think it’s 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.”