Raku Extravanganza to teach pottery firing techniques

By Bethany Narvaez

Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend NW Campus’ Raku Extravaganza to experiment with pottery firing techniques Feb. 28. 

The event will be held in the Ceramics Studio (WFAB 1147), which will be open 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

“Students will be firing pieces that we made [during Pottery Week] and glaze them with a special technique where you put the glaze on and pull it out of the kiln while it’s still hot,” said art associate professor Fred Spaulding.

No experience is required to attend the event, and students do not have to be currently enrolled in a ceramics class.

Faculty and current ceramics students will be present to offer help and guidance.

“The raku effect is the sort of coppery look that we get by reducing the glazes,” Spaulding said. “What that means is we basically burn the pottery with combustibles, and it pulls the oxygen out of the glaze, which makes the copper start to turn metallic.”

Students do not need to have made pieces in advance to participate. The ceramics studio will have premade pieces on hand for students to glaze and fire.

For more information on the Raku Extravaganza, contact Spaulding at 817-515-7557 or fredrick.spaulding@tccd.edu.