Firing the Groundhog Kiln with Seagrove Potter Chad Brown
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Firing the Groundhog Kiln with Seagrove Potter Chad Brown

Posted on 03/15/14

Seagrove, NC - Join us at the North Carolina Pottery Center Saturday, March 22nd to learn about the wood firing process with Seagrove potter Chad Brown as he fires the groundhog kiln on the pottery center lawn. Chad will be available to explain the process and answer questions from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 pm.  The firing of the groundhog kiln takes approximately 15 hours and uses 2 cords of wood.  Chad says, “I learned a lot I didn’t expect to learn about this kiln, mostly because of its limitations. The kiln doesn’t have any bells and whistles like some of the other kilns I’ve fired.  I’ve had to fight cold corners, no side stokes and major leaks. But now I’m getting consistent results that I am happy with. And when I do go back to firing a kiln with bells and whistles, I know how to better ring and toot ‘em!”

Chad is a 5th generation potter; his great-great grandfather was William Henry Chriscoe.  Chad learned his technical skills in the more traditional Seagrove fashion, working for years as a production potter. He expanded his skills by working as a journeyman potter, traveling from studio to studio and turning the various forms required.  Chad has participated in numerous wood firings with various potters including Sid Luck, Terry Hunt, David Stuempfle, Mark Hewitt and Donna Craven. Chad does turning demonstrations at the pottery center on most Saturdays.

While you are at the center, you can also explore “Teachers of Tradition: NC’s Folk Heritage Award-Winning Potters,” a temporary exhibition highlighting and honoring the exemplary work of thirteen of the state’s outstanding traditional potters. The exhibition opens with a reception on Saturday, March 22, 2014 from noon-2:00 p.m. The North Carolina Pottery Center, located in Seagrove, NC, will be open to the public, free of charge, for the reception. The exhibition will run through Saturday, April 26, 2014.

Exhibitions are made possible through the generosity of our membership, the John W. & Anna H. Hanes Foundation, the Mary and Elliott Wood Foundation and the Goodnight Educational Foundation. This project was supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The mission of the North Carolina Pottery Center is to promote public awareness of and appreciation for the history, heritage, and ongoing tradition of pottery making in North Carolina.

The Center is located at 233 East Avenue in Seagrove, NC. Hours of operation are Tue - Sat 10 am - 4 pm. For more information, please call 336.873.8430 or go to www.ncpotterycenter.org

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