On Thurs., Nov. 30, the Art Club on the Brewton Campus of Coastal Alabama Community College will hold its annual Raku Firing on the lawn of the Fine Arts Center from 4-7 p.m.

Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to enjoy an afternoon and evening of watching pottery being created from the sculpting stage to the firing stage and also enjoy refreshments provided by the Art Club.

Raku Kiln Firing is a pottery technique with origins in Japan.  This process includes taking pots, still glowing red from being fired in the kiln, and immediately placing them in containers filled with combustible materials, such as sawdust, leaves, newspaper, etc.  The end result is a dramatically beautiful piece of pottery.

Carrie Johnson, Coastal Alabama art instructor and sponsor of the Art Club, will conduct the firing exhibition with the assistance of local community members and potters.

“It is no wonder that Raku is such a popular technique for pottery because what’s not to love about playing so directly with fire? I think everyone who participated enjoyed having a hands-on role in the making of their own unique piece of art,” said Johnson.  “There is something magical about discovering the unexpected results that can occur when the glaze surface interacts with the smoke and fire.”

Several pieces of pottery will be available for sale with the proceeds going to the local food bank projects of Lisa McMillan.   

Any community members who are not able to attend the firing exhibition and are interested in purchasing pottery, can contact Johnson at 251-809-1617.