Hunter StampsThe second inaugural firing of the UK Wood Kiln marks a significant milestone for UK’s College of Fine Arts students and community. Designed as a hands-on educational experience, the kiln offers an invaluable opportunity to explore traditional ceramic firing.
In 2010, School of Art and Visual Studies (SAVS) Professor Hunter Stamps received a $157,000 grant from the Windgate Foundation to construct a wood-burning kiln on UK’s campus. Professor Robert Shay (former Dean of the College of Fine Arts) worked with Scott Smith (former Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment) to locate a site for the kiln at Coldstream Research Park. The wood kiln offered a unique student experience and promoted the College of Fine Arts (CFA) and SAVS recruitment efforts. Faculty from over seven Kentucky universities brought students to participate in the firings for over ten years. However, in the summer of 2022 the land from the Coldstream Research Park was transferred to the City of Lexington, and therefore the wood kiln had to be removed from the property.
UK’s College of Fine Arts Dean Mark Shanda, former SAVS Director Dr. Rob Jensen, and Professor Stamps worked closely with several College of Arts & Sciences administrators, and in particular Biology Professor Dr. David Westneat, to identify a site for a new wood kiln to be constructed. Construction of the new kiln site at Russell Cave Road began in 2021, which was funded by the UK Provost’s office and coordinated by Mary Vosevich, Vice President for Facilities Management and Chief Facilities Officer. The construction of the chain-link fence, transportation and reconstruction of the kiln shelter, pouring of the concrete pad, and the ordering of new kiln brick/materials was managed by Facilities Management Project Managers Tim Armstrong and Mark Wiggam.
Over the past two years Professor Stamps has worked to dismantle the old wood kiln, consisting of over 20,000 pounds of refractory brick, and rebuild the new wood kiln with the help of students.
First Inaugural Firing
Over 500 pieces of ceramic sculpture and pottery were fired in the inaugural 3-day firing, which took place November 7-10th, 2023. The kiln requires constant stoking around the clock to reach the target temperature of 2,350 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point the accumulated wood ash melts and fuses to the silica in the clay to create a natural wood ash glaze. The ceramic surfaces achieved are unlike anything that can be achieved with modern day gas and electric kilns, making it a revered firing technique throughout the world.
Last year, the 500 ceramic pieces included pottery and sculptural work from UK college students, UK Fine Arts Institute students, community members, local potters, and students from regional colleges such as Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, Centre College, and Transylvania University. It is a great opportunity to bring students from various colleges to work together for the week. Often networking relationships and long-time friendships are formed by the students working together stoking wood into the kiln around the clock in a communal spirit.
Second Inaugural Firing
This year, the collaborators have expanded their horizons to work with UK faculty, staff, and the larger Kentucky community to build on the kiln’s success from last year. This year’s event showcases the dedication UK has to expanding educational experiences for students, and this year’s extended collaboration highlights the kiln’s importance as a hub for creativity and learning for all ages.
The SAVS wood kiln operation opens a wide range of collaborative research and educational opportunities between the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Fine Arts, and the Commonwealth at large. Recently, Professor Stamps and Professor Westneat coordinated an educational ceramic workshop for high-school aged students from the Red Oaks Forest School’s Taking Flight – Next Level (TFNL) Program, which is an award-winning program aimed at teaching science, technology, engineering, math, and art (STEAM) to high school students. The pieces made during the workshop are being fired in this second inaugural wood-kiln firing!
Students enrolled in A-S 370 Ceramics I courses have a plethora of projects in the firing this year, one of which was to recreate historical pots that they have researched and studied. Throughout the majority of the 30,000-year history of ceramics most pots were fired using wood. So, this is a particularly contextual firing method to use for the pieces created for this project. Students from advanced sections of Ceramics created a variety of work, including figurative/abstract sculptural works as well as functional pottery.
The 500 individual pieces were loaded into the kiln on Monday, Monday, November 18th, 10am-4pm. From Wednesday, November 20 until Saturday, November 23 the kiln is stoked with wood and fired continuously for 72 hours. Finally, on Monday, December 2nd the 500 finished pieces are unloaded from the kiln.
A Sustainable Practice
Scrap wood is used exclusively to fire the kiln, meaning no trees are harvested for this project. Most of the wood comes from Arlington Tree Service here in Lexington and is wood that would otherwise be sent to the landfill or burned in a dump pile. Working in collaboration with Shane Tedder, UK’s Campus Sustainability Officer, the kiln team also retrieves the scrap cutoffs from the sawmill located at the Campus Woods Upcycling Program, as well as scraps from the SAVS Wood Shop. Campus Woods is a partnership between UK Facilities Management, UK Sustainability, UK Forestry, and a growing number of academic units to upcycle the wood from trees that have been felled on campus into campus/student-based projects.
The firing of the wood kiln is a painstaking process that requires constant attention and an understanding of the process which happens between the fire, clay, and the outdoor atmosphere. Together, the collaborations between departments, universities, students, and staff, have transformed the firing into an educational opportunity and artistic growth.
See below for final photos from the fired pieces.
