Festival of Fire
Ceramics | Glass | Iron | Registration
About
Festival of Fire is an evolution of SAWs annual Intercollegiate Iron Pour. For ten years the Intercollegiate Iron Pour provided an opportunity for artists from across the nation to come together, share techniques, ideas, and resources in contemporary cast iron art. Now in its eleventh year, the Intercollegiate expands its programming to include opportunities in glass and ceramics. Join us and celebrate all media found and forged in fire, featuring keynote speakers: Amedeo Salamoni, Philip Vinson along with Chuck Wells & Devon Cole, and Kenneth Patrick Payne. The weekend finale will culminate with live music by Let's Be Leonard and record spinning by Zac Ward.
The Festival will also host the inauguration of our new Blacksmithing facility. Jordan LaMothe, local artist, SAW workshop alumnus and a recent champion on the History Channel's "Forged in Fire," will give a bladesmithing demonstration to christen the shop.
Fees
+ Festival Registration
Friday, September 22 thru Sunday, September 24 - $125 per person for camping & meals
Saturday, September 23 thru Sunday, September 24 - $75 per person for camping & meals
Additional days in attendance before and/or after the festival - $50 per person
+ Intensive Group Workshops
Wood-fire symposium - $120 per person or $585 per group of five people
Glass Olympics - $40 per person or $150 per group of four people
Doodle Bowls - $45 per person or $240 per group of six people
+ Drop-in mold making workshops
Scratch Blocks - small tile $10, medium tile $15, large tile $20
+ Drop-in glass blowing workshops
Make a marble - half hour class $25
Make a flower - half hour class $25
Design a glass ornament - half hour class $30
Schedule
+ Meals
Served daily under the white tent; you must have a wristband to eat.
8 am - 10 am / Breakfast
11 am - 1 pm / Lunch
6 pm - 8 pm / Dinner
+ Thursday, Early Arrival
Must be reserved in advance upon registration. Additional days prior may also be requested upon registration.
6 pm - 8 pm / Registration at the Visitor Center
+ Friday, Festival Begins
8 am - 8 pm / Registration at the Visitor Center
9 am - 5 pm / Kiln building at the Wood-Fired Kilns
10 am - 6 pm / Open studio at the Glass Shop & Sand Barn
5 pm - 6 pm / Amedeo Salamoni keynote speech at the Wood Fired Kilns
6 pm / Kiln firing at the Wood-Fired Kilns
8 pm / Performance pour featuring Kenneth Patrick Payne at the Pond
6 pm - 10 pm / Drop-in workshop at the White Tent
+ Saturday, Late Arrival
8 am - 6 pm / Registration at the Visitor Center
9 am - 10:30 am / Philip Vinson along with Chuck Wells & Devon Cole, keynote speech and demonstration at the Glass Shop
10:30 am - 12 pm / Jordan LaMothe bladesmithing demonstration at the Blacksmithing Shop
2 pm - 6 pm / Glass Olympics at the Glass Shop & production pour with guest furnaces
6 pm / Kiln firing last stoke & shut down at the Wood-Fired Kilns
8 pm / Kenneth Payne keynote speaker under the White Tent
9 pm - 12 am / Music by Let’s be Leonard and record spinning with Zac Ward at Barn 1
+ Sunday, Check Out
8 am - 8 pm / Check out at the Visitor Center
9 am / Divest molds at the Foundry Pit
3 pm / Kiln unloading at the Wood-Fired Kilns
+ What to Bring / Wear
Overnight guests must bring their camping gear including tent, tarp, sleeping bag, pillow, towel, and biodegradable toiletries. Porta potties and outdoor showers are available. Participants must wear closed-toed shoes, dress in layers with natural fiber, and bring warm hat, gloves, and jacket. Mornings/evenings are cold and windy, with chance or rain or full sunshine during the days.
Day participants and specatators bring pop-up chairs/blankets, closed-toe shoes. Check the weather and dress accordingly.
Please see additional requirements specific to the medium you would like to participate in.
Ceramics
Small Wood-Kiln Symposium
Salem Art Works will be hosting five teams to build and fire small wood-fired ceramic kilns. Specific refractory materials are provided to build the kiln; they must create their design in advance. During the symposium teams will construct their kiln and must be finished by 5 pm Friday, Kilns will be loaded with ceramic work made by the team members, fired for a maximum of 24 hours, and unloaded on Sunday late afternoon.
A keynote presentation will be given by Amedeo Salamoni. He recently published a book called "Wood-fired Ceramics, 100 Contemporary Artists" which will be the topic of his keynote. He is an educator, potter and kiln builder with extensive knowledge in clay, wood-burning kilns and the communities that grow around them. Follow this link to learn more.
+ Cost
$120 per person or $585 per group of five people, plus registration fee and one additional day
+ Materials Provided
Refractory and fuel available to each team
4' x 8' x 4” steel box filled with silica sand
(150) standard hard bricks 9"x4.5"x2.5"
(100) 2300 soft bricks 9"x4.5"x2.5"
(4) 12" x 24" x 3/4" silicon carbide kilns shelves
(1) five gallon bucket of fireclay/epk mix for mortar and wadding
1/4 cord of hardwood and 1/4 cord of pine both split fine and 12 inches long
+ Detailed Schedule
Thursday, September 21
6 pm - 8 pm / Participant arrival
Friday, September 22
9 am - 5 pm / Construction of the kilns, loading of the kiln
5 pm / Amedeo Salamoni, keynote speech at kilns
6 pm / Lighting of all kilns ( 24-hour firing )
Saturday, September 23
Firing of kilns continues
6 pm / Last kiln stoke and closing of kilns (teams can fire up to 24 hrs only)
Sunday, September 24
3 pm / Unloading of the kiln
+ What to Bring / Wear
Bring your preferred hand tools, safety glasses, close-toed shoes, and dress warm for evening firing shifts (insulated jump suit, wool socks, scarf and thermos).
Glass
Salem Art Works will be hosting five teams of four participants to test their glass blowing skills and techniques in a Glass Olympics, completing a variety of glass challenges. Each team must bring their hand tools and tricks to compete. During the symposium teams will take turns competing in challenges, testing their strength, creativity, and craftsmanship.
A keynote speech will be given by Philip Vinson along with Chuck Wells and Devan Cole on mobile glass blowing, the equipment they make and public outreach. Follow this link to learn more.
+ Cost
Glass Olympics
$40 per person or $150 per group of four people, plus registration fee
Glass Studio Rental
Glass blow time / Hot Shop - $125 per 3 hour slot
Glass blow time / Little Dragon - $125 per 3 hour slot
+ Materials & Equipment
Gabbert 8C which has a COE of 91 glass
Powder frit and bar color available
Furnace that yields 110 lbs of glass
Two work stations:14” glory hole & 10” glory hole, two marver tables, two 8cf annealers
Pipe warmer
Bench Torches
Break-off table w/Oxy-Propane torch
Hand tools: Pipes, Punties, Jacks, Straight shears, Diamond shears, Tweezers, Sophietas/Puffers – bent and straight, Graphite Parchoffis, Blocks, and Paddles
+ Schedule
Thursday, September 21
6 pm - 8 pm / Participant arrival
Friday, September 22
10 am - 6 pm / Glass blow slot rentals available
Saturday, September 23
9 am - 10 am / Philip Vinson demonstration
10 am - 10:30 am / Philip Vinson keynote speech
10:30 am - 6 pm / Glass Olympics
+ What to Bring / Wear
Bring your preferred hand tools, safety glasses, closed-toe shoes, and natural clothing.
Iron
Our Iron Pour is a chance for teams from across the nation to come together and share techniques, ideas, and resources in iron casting as well as engage in a dialogue on the process. Participants spend the weekend working in groups to prepare molds, furnaces and our pour site. Some other opportunities for this event is exposure to a fire arts performance and keynote speaker.
A keynote presentation 'The Consequences of Heat' will be given by Kenneth Patrick Payne. Ken is a professor at Buffalo State College and artist who utilizes a variety of mixed materials in his sculptural work including cast iron, cast bronze, fabricated steel, cast glass, and the earth. He will present fire and ice performance titled 'Combustion' on Friday the 22nd at 8 pm. Follow this link to learn more.
+ Cost
Iron Pour
If you bring molds - ¢.50 per lb iron
If you are renting studio time to make molds - $25 per day plus materials
Materials: ¢.50 per lb iron, $20 per 100 lb sand, $5 per lb wax, and abrasives $3 disc
*If bring molds to have poured and do not participate there is a $25 furnace fee
+ Schedule
Friday, September 22
9 am - 5 pm - Arrival of participants
8 pm - Performance Pour featuring Kenneth Payne
Saturday, September 23
9 am - Gather molds and get on a mold line – discussion of casting process
11 am - Saturday afternoon/day – Production Pour – All molds are poured in iron
Sunday, September 24
9 am - 12 pm - open molds, clean-up pouring area, and discuss the process
9 am - 12 pm - Fresh Casting Photo Booth Online Exhibition.
+ Materials & Equipment
Equipment & Supplies
Coke fired furnaces
Small aluminum furnace
Wax melt out kiln
Preheat kiln for ceramic shells
Access to gantry and fork lift capabilities for larger molds
Sand mixers
Flasking supplies
Banding and weighting materials
Wax working area
An assortment of hand tools
Safety gear
+ What to Bring / Wear
For mold making Bring a respirator and own hand tools to work with wax and carve sand.
For pouring bring leather boots (steel toe recommended), safety glasses, bandana, helmet with a metal mesh screen, leather jacket, chaps, spats, and gloves. Bring your grinder, saw, and a wire brush for divesting and finishing casting.