Hamilton, Ohio – No surprise, but the two new Skutt pottery kilns installed at the Fitton Center last month turn out quality products. More accurately, pottery students are the ones turning out the great work, according to pottery studio manager Amanda Joy Phirman. But the new kilns certainly enhance their creations.
“I am always so impressed with the quality of the work of the students here,” she said, showing the trio of recently fired pieces pictured below. “All of those pieces were made on the potter’s wheel in one of our classes.”
Paula Koch created the black-and-blue mug embossed with dragonflies pictured below. Lisa Farthing made the green-and-black plate (with instructor Haruko Mizoguchi’s fish plate visible in the background). Jim Benson did the gorgeous, layered glaze work on the third piece (shown with one of the kilns).
“We fire our kilns to over 2,000 degrees over the course of about eight hours and take another 12 hours to cool,” Phirman said. “The new kilns are more energy efficient and - with upgraded computer systems - they reach the ideal temperature more reliably, producing better results.”
The new kilns arrived September 11. In the three weeks since, they’ve gotten a workout from students in the Fall I classes that began that same week. Look for more to come as classes continue and the Fall II schedule begins Oct. 30 with Wheel Throwing Basics.
Other Fall II classes include Youth (ages 6-9), Pre-Teen (ages 10-13) and Teen Pottery (ages 13-17), beginning November 7, November 2 and November 1, respectively. Afternoon Pottery Studio and Functional Pottery begin November 7, while Intermediate Wheel Throwing returns November 2.
Early-bird discounts are available for students who register before October 23 and scholarship applications for Fall II classes are due by October 20.
Classes run once a week for six weeks. For complete education listings and registration information – not just pottery offerings - please see our Fall Education Brochure.
The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.
Building Community Excellence through the Arts and Culture
