the gustin wood kiln: gifts from the fire

November 18, 2017 - January 11, 2018

Opening Reception:

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18th, 4-6 pm

SHOP GUSTIN

Co-curated by Chris Gustin and Shauna Cahill

Featuring the work of 24 unique ceramic artists, this special exhibition showcases a premiere selection of the over 1,000 pieces from Chris Gustin's annual fall firing of his renowned three-chambered wood kiln in South Dartmouth, MA. This enormous kiln takes a village to fire, and the crew at Gustin's kiln is just that- a community so strong that it is a small village in and of itself. These artists come together up to three times a year to execute this masterful collaboration, a labor of love that takes nearly a month to complete- 4 days of loading, 7 days of firing, 2 weeks of cooling, one day to unload, and many more to clean up and process the results.

Artists work together to stoke the 2nd chamber by tossing wood into the firebox. Photo credit: Hollis Engley

Reaching temperatures upwards of 2400 degrees and maintaining that for up to 7 days using only wood as fuel, this kiln needs to be tended to 24 hours a day by at least 3-6 artists at a time, who constantly feed wood to the fire all day and night. The results of such dedication and skill, in conjunction with Chris Gustin's expertise and mastery, yields a bounty of pottery and ceramic sculpture painted with organic flame patterns, complimented with melted wood-ash and adorned with crystal growth. We are honored to be showing some of the gems out of the 45th firing of Gustin's wood kiln, including everything from the most functional mugs and jars, to smoke-breathing dragons and captivating ceramic sculpture.