The “Earth, Fire and Ash” exhibition, which will be presented in two chapters, is a celebration of woodfired ceramics showcasing the growing community of woodfired ceramic artists in the Mendocino area. Woodfiring is a unique approach to ceramics that requires teamwork and dedication, encourages community, and celebrates unpredictability and surprises.

Chapter one of this exhibition, September 30 to November 17, focuses on four kilns in the area; several pieces from each kiln will be exhibited along with information on the different approaches and techniques employed at each kiln. Participating will be Mendocino Art Center’s Ian Hazard-Bill and Miles McCreary; Cider Creek Collective’s (Albion) Nick Schwartz, Jessica Thompson and Doug Browe; Rock Rose Studio’s (Philo) Nakona McDonald; and Aum Kiln’s (Albion) Leslie Campbell, Jason Sanovich and Cliff Glover.

Chapter two, November 25 to December 30, will feature work straight out of the kilns fired in Mendocino during the Mendocino Art Center’s November Second Saturday reception and in other participating kilns during the fall. The exhibition will display the bounty and variation created from a single firing as well as celebrate the start of woodfiring season in fall. For artists who practice woodfiring, the arrival of fall rains signals the beginning of the firing season and brings excitement to return to the kiln and the joy of community that it creates.

Second Saturday Gallery Receptions
5pm–7pm
Free Admission

October 8:
Join us for the exhibition opening of the first chapter. It will be a night with local woodfire artists sharing their stories about how they got into woodfired ceramics and what it means to them. There will also be a formal Q & A after the stories and the opportunity to talk to the artists about their work. Also on exhibit is the Mendocino Open Paint Out Featured Artists Exhibit.

November 12:
Join us for a special opportunity to witness our wood kilns in action. Artists will be conducting the final stages of the woodfiring during our Second Saturday Reception, you’ll be able to see the kiln in its most active and dramatic state. See the work in the exhibition and see how it’s made. From 6:30pm-7:30pm, you are invited to participate in the kiln shut down ceremony, a final stoke and blessing of the firing and works in the kiln, the shutting down of the kiln is one of the single most critical parts of the woodfiring process. This special event is something you’ll want to witness. The work in the kiln will be unloaded and installed into the gallery for the second chapter of this exhibition, open November 25.

December 10:
Details to be announced.