Fire your work with the potters of Seagrove, NC

One Spot Available! Woodfire Pre-Conference May 17-21, 2025

ONE ticket left! Call us at 910-428-9001

Fire your work with Blue Hen Pottery & From the Ground Up Pottery in Seagrove, NC! (Plus, join David Stuempfle’s saggar firing!)

Experience tours, contribute work to wood kiln firings, participate in firing shifts and other special events with Seagrove area artists and their guests. Participants can customize their pre-conference schedule based on the firings they decide to contribute work for. Pre-Conference attendees may attend all firings, but are asked to choose up to 2 Seagrove Artist wood firings to include personal work in.

Special Bonus Firing: Every Pre-Conference attendee is also invited to contribute work for and join David Stuempfle’s Saggar Firing on May 21!

Have you registered for the Pre-Conference?

Click here to view your schedule.

Pre-Conference attendees must also register for the Main Conference. “Pre-Conference only” tickets will not be available.

Pre-Conference Firings

Select two firings to contribute work to. Guests must register to the pre-conference to participate.

Special Bonus Firing: Every Pre-Conference attendee is also invited to contribute work for and join David Stuempfle’s Saggar Firing on May 21!

This is in addition to the two firings of your choice.

Anne Pärtna of Blue Hen Pottery - ONE left

Kiln Description: Firing in Bourry-box kiln for about 24 hours with an overnight shut down. Small amount of salt will be used at the end of firing.

May 18: last day to accept pots. Possibility to glaze pots with limited glaze options at Blue Hen. Wadding will be provided.

May 19: loading the kiln, preheat with wood until 9pm

May 20: Firing 6am - until finished (about 11pm)

Must be cone 10 clay, must be bisque

Up to 10 participants. 5 pieces max. No plates over 11” please. Max height 12”.

Michael & Levi Mahan at From the Ground Up Pottery - ONE left

Saturday May 17th & Sunday May 18th, to accept pots and sign up for shifts

Loading: Monday, May 19th

Firing: Tuesday, May 20th – Wednesday, May 21th

Kiln Description: Firing in a Manabigama kiln, woodfired for 36 hours, for ash and flashing effects

8 participants, 2 pieces per person - no plates, 12” high or less

Must be cone 10 clay

Fred Johnston of Johnston & Gentithes - FULL

Sunday, May 18th, last day to accept pots

Loading: Tuesday May 20th

Firing: Wednesday May 21st

Kiln Description: Trench kiln used to produce smoke and wood trace elements effects similar to those produced by indigenous peoples

3 pieces per person - 12 ins or less, no plates

You do not have to have pots in the kiln to participate in the firing

Raku clay is best suited for this kind of firing

Travis Owens of Jugtown Pottery - FULL

Jugtown will fire their Groundhog Kiln for the pre-conference. This kiln will take around 5-6 hours to load and the firing will last around 16-17 hours. We will salt the kiln lightly at the end, as most of the pots will be glazed. Jugtown will offer a few glazes for participants to choose from. A short window for glazing your pots will be scheduled in the morning before kiln loading.

We will accept pots on Sunday, May 18, load on Monday, May 19 and fire on Tuesday, May 20.

We can accommodate 6 participants. Each participant can send three pots; two mug sized pieces and one larger piece that can be up to 8” tall.

Pieces should be bisque fired before arriving at Jugtown, and made of a clay that can take cone 9-11.

Takuro & Hitomi Shibata of Studio Touya - FULL

Sunday, May 18th: Accepting pots

Monday, May 19th: Loading/ Pre-heating

Tuesday, May 20th: Firing

Wednesday May 21st: Open House

Kiln Description: During the pre-conference, we will fire the salt chamber of our wood kiln. The salt chamber is designed to operate independently and has been fired 50 times since its construction in 2009. It is about 50 cubic feet of stacking space. The firing process will last between 24 to 36 hours. We plan to add a small amount of salt towards the end of the firing.

6 participants, 3 pieces per person, no plates, 12" high or less

Must be cone 10+ clay, must be bisque