Story and photo by Sydney Bickers
Eleven Hart Hall women loaded into a Milligan van and headed to “Into the Fire” in Johnson City last Saturday.
Into the Fire is a retail studio in north Johnson City that sells pottery made in China for patrons to decorate with paint. The wares are bisque, which means they have been fired but not glazed. Customers paint the chalky wares with underglazes.
““It’s just a lot of fun to hangout and to spend time with your friends and do some artsy stuff,” said Hart Hall resident assistant Keara Seibert.
Sibert painted a tree of life on a plate. She plans to eat off the plate in her dorm room.
The pottery is not properly cured after customers paint it. It must be kept in the studio for one week to be finished. Workers dip pieces into a separate glaze that colors them lime green and then fire them in a kiln that reaches over 2,000 degrees Celsius (3,632 F). The glaze renders pottery glossy and tableware safe to properly utilize. Pottery can be picked up with the receipt of purchase a week after painting.
Hart resident Hannah Isosaki decided to make a Mother’s Day gift.
Pieces of pottery range in cost from $2 to $50. An additional entry fee of $6 per student is required. One dollar is subtracted from the fee if the group is larger than eight. Reservations are not necessary except for after-hours parties.
Into the Fire is open Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. To arrange after-hours appointments, call (423) 926-2529. The studio’s address is 525 W. Oakwood Ave., off exit 19 of I-26.
milliganstampede
