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Explore the magic of
the University of
Montevallos
ANAGAMA KILN.
Built from an age old
Japanese design, this
enormous structure
produces exquisite
ceramics using the
process of wood firing.

An ancient art comes to life
before your eyes















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Watch at www.montevallo.edu/anagama The Kilncast Shows

May 20 -- Loading at 2 p.m.
Live coverage * Profiles of artists * History of the
Kiln * How the Kiln works * The clay that goes in
and comes out

May 22 -- Lighting at 1 p.m.
Live sake ceremony * Lighting of Kiln * Analysis of
Kiln and pieces loaded * The firing process * Viewer
e-mail segment (artists respond, interact with viewers)

May 26 -- Full Blast at Noon
Recap and analysis of firing process * Lots of flames
* Throwing coals and bamboo bombs * Pulling rings
out of the firebox LIVE * Viewer e-mail segment


June 2 -- Unloading at Noon
Live coverage of the unloading * Showcase of pieces
* In-depth analysis of pieces (what worked, what
didnt) * Viewer e-mail segment

All times Central. All Webcasts 1 hour long.
Featuring University of Montevallo
Professor and Artist Scott Meyer,
builder and keeper of the kiln.
Respect the tradition.
Push the boundaries.





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Watch at www.montevallo.edu/anagama Questions and answers from Artist Scott Meyer
kiln, pots and sculpture are stacked very tightly. The flame finds paths through the work as it tries to escape, accel-
erating through narrow areas like water rushing around rocks on a creek bottom. Over the duration of the firing, the
ingredients in the clay react to the consistent flame paths and register these paths on the surface. A practiced ceram-
ic artist loads the kiln with these dynamics in mind. The woodfire aesthetic can be challenging at first. Our culture
tends to respond more to shiny finish, brith colors and consistent surfaces. The woodfire aesthetic celebrates uneven
finish, a muted palette and vast disparity of texture.
What is so special about this Anagama?
There are very few kilns of this design and scale in the country. There are
only five or six of any size on university campuses in the United States. There is only one other that is close to this
size that is fired by undergraduate students. our kiln is the only one in the country built exclusively with undergradu-
ate assistants. These kilns are so rare that artists outside Montevallo come to work here. University of Alabama
graduate faculty and students took part in this firing.
Can I see the kiln or take part in the firing?
You may arrange for a tour by calling the art department office at 665-
6400. The prerequisite for advanced ceramics is Ceramics I, so start taking courses! We plan to fire it in Fall and
Spring semesters. You can certainly help us! Warning: This is a labor intense environment. You can be very useful
even if you cannot lift a lot. But you have to like to work hard!
Anagama
K i l n c a s t
Watch at www.montevallo.edu/anagama
What does Anagama mean?
ANAGAMA is a Japanese
word that means one chamber. The Anagama design is
ancient. Kilns such as ours have been excavated dating
back 3000 years. Japanese villages often dug the cham-
bers into clay deposits on the side of hills.
How long does it take and how much wood is used?

Five days and nights of constant stoking. Crews work in
shifts. We burned approximately 10 to 14 cords of wood.
(A cord is 4x4x8 tightly stacked.) We are supplied by
area landscaping, campus grounds crew, and area timber
companies. The wood is split, cross cut and dried before
each firing.
Why go to all that trouble?
There are two ways woodfir-
ing influences the surface of work. First, as the wood ash
roars through the chamber over the long firing, it settles
on the work inside. At high temperature (2400 F) it fluxes
and runs down the surfaces. As more deposits happen
over time, a surface is built up that is very complex with
a variety of surface texture and color nuance. The second
is the flash caused by prolonged exposure to flame. In the