Ceramics facilities
Ceramics Complex
The Ceramics Complex occupies over 3 acres of land on NAU’s South Campus. The state of the art facility includes a 10,833 square foot main studio complex, newly built clay mixing and dry materials storage building, traditional Japanese tea house, and two outdoor kiln areas.
Ceramics majors, space permitting, are provided semi-private studio space or workspace in a newly constructed communal studio. Students have access to a well-equipped facility that includes:
- 22 electric pottery wheels;
- 36″ slab roller;
- extruder;
- Soldner clay mixer and Peter Pugger clay mixer;
- de-airing pug mill;
- fully stocked and ventilated glaze room;
- spray booth;
- ball mill;
- photo room with lightbox and backdrop;
- 6 electric kilns (programmable);
- 4 gas kilns (Geil downdraft/ Car kiln downdraft/Laguna updraft/Reduction cool gas test);
- outdoor kiln pad for atmospheric firings (salt, soda, raku).
Wood kiln facility
The Ceramics Complex has one of the largest wood fired kiln facilities in the US, housing seven kilns, including one of only three Tozan kiln sites in the world.
There is a course dedicated to wood fire, offering students the opportunity to make work for and participate in the firing process. Advanced students, with the proper training, also have the opportunity to participate in numerous firings throughout the year.
The well equipped Wood Kiln Facility includes:
- Tozan noborigama and anagama kilns;
- double catenary arch wood/wood-soda kiln;
- small anagama kiln;
- double wide train kiln;
- switchback train kiln;
- 2 hydraulic logspitters;
- chainsaw;
- wood supply.
Summer Woodfire Workshop
The annual Wood Fire Workshop generally takes place during the last two weeks of July. Participants are welcome to bring bisqueware from home, as well as to create new work during the session. On campus housing is affordable and located near the Ceramics Complex. For registration information please contact jason.hess@nau.edu.