In connection with the symposium, pre and post event activities include expanded workshops with the presenters at various locations throughout the province, as well as gallery exhibits within the lower mainland. Please stay tuned.
Mid Fire Soda and Surface with Lael Chmelyk
March 15, 2026 - March 19, 2026
$379.97
http://ca.apm.activecommunities.com/burnaby/Activity_Search/86206
Description
In conjunction with the 2026 Canadian Clay Symposium, Clay: How Hard Can It Be?, guest artist Lael Chmelyk will lead participants through a cone 6 oxidation soda firing of The Vault at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. This multi-day workshop will begin with a demonstration and presentation on developing surface design, and will allow for participants to decorate and glaze their work for soda firing. The following sessions will involve wadding work, loading and firing the kiln, and an unload critique.
Please note that this workshop is not suitable for beginners that are not yet proficient with clay. Participants are responsible for bringing 1.5 cubic feet of cone 6 bisqueware in a range of different sizes, including at least one vessel 8 inches and taller. Attendance and participation in all sessions is mandatory. Registrants will be contacted with more information.
About
Lael Chmelyk is a ceramic and fiber artist living in Calgary, Alberta. Raised in Dawson Creek, Lael began making from an early age. She went on toe graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics with Distinction from The Alberta University of Arts in 202. Her work focuses on themes surrounding identity, agency over our bodies, chronic illness and the legacies we leave behind. She has developed a method of soda firing in oxidation, which is fired to a lower temperature than most, allowing her to lower her carbon footprint compared to traditional firing methods. In 2024, she was awarded the Winifred Shantz Award for Emerging Ceramic Artists.
Contact the Ceramic Arts Programmer for more information: 604-205-3012
