Artist Access Grants
Artist Access Grants
To finish building my reduction kiln.
Tara Makinen: Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Moira Villiard: visual artist, Cultural Programming Coordinator at American Indian Community Housing Organization; Amber Burns: choreographer, dancer, actor, middle school art teacher; Margaret Holmes: visual artist, poet, and former Children’s Theatre employee; Tammy Mattonen: visual artists, co-founder of Crescendo Youth Orchestra; Kayla Aubid: Native American craft artist, writer, employee at MacRostie Art Center; Ariana Daniel: mixed media artist, arts instructor; Kathy Neff: musician, Director, Fine Arts Academy at the University of Minnesota-Duluth; Ron Piercy: jeweler, gallery owner; Emily Swanson: arts administrator at Oldenburg Arts and Cultural Community; Christina Nohre: writer and arts advocate.
Tara Makinen: Executive Director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Amber Burns: choreographer, dancer, actor, middle school art teacher; Kayla Aubid: Native American craft artist, writer, employee at MacRostie Art Center; Kathy Neff: musician, Director, Fine Arts Academy at the University of Minnesota-Duluth; Ron Piercy: jeweler, gallery owner
ACHF Arts Access ACHF Arts Education ACHF Cultural Heritage
I would like to build a propane reduction kiln on my property in Grand Marais, Minnesota. The goal is to improve the quality and variation of my work. I feel that moving to atmosphere firing is the next level in my career as a professional potter. I have several years of experience firing other people’s kilns, I think that it is time that I move into my own kiln firing. By building this kiln I can make a wider variety of work, not only in the type of firing but also in size. This kiln will allow me to go to a wider range of firing temperatures along with taking my maximum size of 22" in height to more than four 1/2 feet in height. While my electric kiln is designed to reach temperatures as high as cone 10, it is not very friendly on the kiln. Using this kiln will allow me to fire in a reduced atmosphere. This kiln will also allow me to fire larger loads at a time. Firing with propane is also more economical that the current rates of electricity. First goal is to get the kiln built. This will be simply measured by the kiln being built. Second goal is to be sure that it works. This will be measured by firing a bisque firing, a cone six reduction firing, and finally a cone ten reduction firing. Once a successful firing has happened we will measure the capacity of the kiln compared to my current Skutt KM 1027 electric kiln. The goal here is to reduce the amount of times that I have to glaze fire in a given time period, while measuring this I will also determine if the cost of firing a propane kiln is more affordable than an electric kiln. Finally with peer evaluation I will determine if my work has improved based on the firing in the new kiln.
Other,local or private