WAUKESHA – In its fifth firing, the first time in fall, the University of Wisconsin wood kiln was started today. Built by a summer sessions class in 1997, it is the only wood-fired kiln in the University of Wisconsin System. Previous firings have been in spring and summer.Continually stoked, the fire inside the 450-cubic-foot kiln will reach its greatest intensity, exceeding 2400 degrees Fahrenheit, on Saturday. It is tended round the clock during firing.The public is welcome to view the dramatic sight, and the most spectacular viewing time will be on Saturday, November 18, through the evening hours.Loaded earlier this week, it contains the work of three UW faculty members, Jeff Noska from UW-Waukesha, Christopher Davis-Benavides from UW-Milwaukee, and Carl Borgeson from UW-Whitewater, as well that of 20 advanced ceramics students.Unloading after cool-down is expected to take place Thanksgiving weekend. More unpredictable than other types of kilns, it imbues the ceramics with distinctive characteristics that both surprise and delight artists.
The kiln is situated at the UW-Waukesha Field Station, 1234 South Waterville Road, Oconomowoc, just south of Highway 18 near the Ladd Lake facility. |
