Anyone seeking some artistic fulfillment or even just a fun escape from the chaos downtown tomorrow can head to Baltimore Clayworks for the Autumn Blaze Fire Festival.
The event is Baltimore’s only ceramics-centered community arts group’s annual way of celebrating the process of creation by clay and fire. The Fire Festival, now in its fifth year, features the Clay Olympics, live music and demos of two types of clay firing, called Obvara and Raku.
For food and drink, Alexandria, Va.-based Monument Brewing Company is sponsoring the event, and Clayworks’ resident artists will be selling chili bowls (filled with chili) that they made themselves.
The organization will also be unveiling its newly rebuilt wooden kiln. Guests will have a chance to put it to the test during the organization’s Cup-a-Thon, in which they create their own cups for the organization to sell in its community arts gallery. Clayworks uses the proceeds to fund its other programming for youth, families, senior citizens and others throughout the year. Participants who are proud of their cups and want to bring them home can also buy them a few weeks later once they have made their way through the kiln.
Clayworks will also be unveiling several new exhibitions that include work made in its educational space, from arts teachers and bricks crafted by Marian April Glebes and Josh Copus for the Baltimore Mobile Community Brick Factory.
During the day, Clayworks will be hosting events from families from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and a student art sale from 1-6 p.m.
The Autumn Blaze Fire Festival runs from 5-9 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets $25 for members/$30 for non-members today, $40 at the door. Baltimore Clayworks is located at 5706 Smith Avenue in Mt. Washington.
