Come to the Ozark Folk Center and get “fired-up”!
Visitors to the Craft Village between April 16 - 19 will be able to watch the annual firing of the 100 cubic foot traditional groundhog kiln. The loading of the kiln starts in February, and the lighting is Wednesday, April 16. The actual firing of the pottery takes from 17 to 24 hours. The kiln then needs to cool for two days and Saturday is the opening day to see the results! (Weather permitting.)
John Perry and Judi Munn, Ozark Folk Center demonstrating potters, as well as invited visiting potters have been preparing pottery to fire in the kiln all year. Several potters from around the region will be assisting them during the loading and firing of the groundhog kiln.
During the actual firing, two to three cords of wood will be slowly fed into the firebox to allow the kiln to reach its final temperature between 2,200 and 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature has to be checked every 20 minutes and wood added as needed. Once the pottery is fired, the kiln is banked and the potters go home to sleep. After cooling for two days, the kiln will be opened and unloaded on Saturday, April 19, during our annual Open House in the Craft Village. Admission will be free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The groundhog kiln at the Ozark Folk Center was built in 2002 by John and Judi with assistance of University of Alabama ceramics professor, Lowell Baker and many volunteer helpers. It was funded in part by an Arkansas Heritage grant.
Pottery was an integral part in the lives of people who grew up in Arkansas in the early part of this century. Although there are records of only about 30 working potteries in Arkansas before 1945, virtually every home had a piece of crockery. Butter was made in a churn, food from the garden was stored in a crock, water from the spring was carried in a jug, and biscuits were mixed in a stoneware bowl. The groundhog kiln was the most popular style of kiln used by Arkansas Folk Potters in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Virtually every piece of stoneware made in this state during that time was fired in these wood-burning ovens.