Art School Raising Money to Save Soda Kiln
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STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A group of potters from IS183 Art School of the Berkshires have banded together to launch a Kickstarter campaign, “Save Our Soda Kiln,” on March 23th to raise $11,652 to rebuild the school’s deteriorating soda kiln.
For nearly a quarter century, the pottery studio at IS183 Art School has fostered and nurtured the ceramic arts, attracting a wide range of both emerging and practicing artists from the Berkshires, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. These artists depend both on the workspace at IS183 and a wide range of its well-kept equipment to create and fire their pieces. One essential furnishing is the soda kiln, which allows for the extraordinary finishing of ceramic art through the beautiful and unpredictable bonding of soda ash and silica.
IS183 is unique in that it houses the only soda kiln in the area; sadly, the kiln is nearing the end of its functional life. Soda ash vapors have destroyed the bricks lining the kiln, the back and sidewalls are cracking and the brick arch is in imminent danger of collapse.
Kickstarter campaign leaders Kay Castelle, Setsuko Winchester, Nina Ryan and Adrienne Miesmer must meet their goal to raise the money necessary to re-build the soda kiln by April 24. The campaign offers gifts in return for all levels of donation. To participate, click here. As IS183 is a nonprofit institution, all contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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