Wood Kiln Firing Weekend
May 7-11, 2026
Join us for a long weekend of wood firing in the Adirondacks and gain hands-on experience with the exciting process of a wood/salt firing. This is not a workshop; those with little to no experience should consider registering for our week-long wood-kiln firing workshop with Kyle Brumsted in September.
This weekend is intended for ceramic artists who have some experience with atmospheric firing. Participants will spend a long weekend at the beautiful Craigardan campus, glazing, loading and firing our wood/salt kiln as a group, with instruction from our staff along the way. Everyone must reserve space in the kiln in advance for the amount of work you will bring, and all participants must sign up for at least two work shifts for loading, firing, and clean up.
This registration is for:
• Local ceramic artists who have fired with us in the past and who want to join in on the kiln firing (Kiln Firing Only)
• Folks traveling from a distance who wish to stay on-campus and eat delicious, local food for the whole weekend
• People who would benefit from some further instruction for every part of the glazing, loading, and firing process
• Or, Ceramic artists with extensive experience who wish to fire their work in a cone 10/11 wood/salt firing
The Details
Craigardan is built around creativity in community. The weekend will be spent connecting and learning with fellow makers, as we work together to have an exciting and successful firing.
PROGRAM. This weekend will be an opportunity to learn from each other, with guidance from our experienced staff. After a brief review of how the atmosphere affects different surfaces, participants will prepare their own work to fire with provided slips, glazes and wadding. We’ll only have an evening and morning to glaze, and Friday afternoon will be spent loading the kiln. Saturday is the firing itself — everyone will be taking shifts to stoke the kiln and split wood. While the kiln cools, we’ll be cleaning up the studio and firing area and prepping for unloading. After we unload the kiln together on Monday, we’ll do final clean up, pack our pots, and head home. There is an option to stay Monday night for those who live far away.
FOOD. Cabin and on-site camping participants will receive a group farm share and fully stocked pantry that will provide enough food for the weekend. Craigardan staff will prepare a welcome dinner for the night of arrival, and wood-fired pizzas the evening of the firing. In-residence participants are responsible for coordinating with each other for all other meal creation. Day-participants (kiln-firing only) are welcome to join the pizza dinner during the firing with a pot-luck contribution.
ACCOMMODATIONS. In-residence participants sleep in their own tiny Artist Cabins, designed as a very modern take on the Adirondack Lean-to. Each beautiful cabin has a bed, writing table, good lighting, outlets, heat, closet space, and a small entry porch. The cabins are located on the main campus site, 1/3 mile drive or walk into the property from the farm and Farmhouse. They are situated at the top of the campus clearing next to a Bathhouse which has four individual full bathrooms. All participants have access to shared living space in the beautiful Applebarn. Our professional summer kitchen and dining area is in the Kilnhouse open-air pavilion.
On-site camping participants will have ample space to pitch their tents, either close to the buildings or anywhere off of the campus trail system. Campers will still have access to the Bathhouse, Applebarn and Kilnhouse Kitchen, as well as food from the farm share.
The Farm and Farmhouse is located 1/3 mile downhill from the main campus and houses our clay studio, farm store, offices, and laundry facilities.
Internet is available in the Farmhouse (at the farm) and in the Applebarn and Kilnhouse (on campus). Cell phone service is spotty in the Adirondacks and almost non-existent on campus.
Please note that while our new campus is designed to be universally accessible, we will have increasing ability to accommodate specific needs as the campus is built. If you are living with a disability, please discuss this with staff so that we can work to support you to the absolute best of our ability at this time.
Our in-process campus is like luxury camping at its best. This will be a very comfortable yet rustic Adirondack experience that may not appeal to everyone. Please reach out to speak with staff about your needs if you have questions.
Participants are required to bring:
Kiln and studio safety equipment including gloves, eye protection, and respirator (if you want to salt the kiln)
Headlamp
cone 10 bisqueware
SCHEDULE. Arrive at Craigardan on Thursday between 2pm and 4pm to check in and enjoy orientation and a welcome dinner.
Work closely with instructors Thursday through Monday to prepare work, load, fire, cool, unload, and clean up the kiln.
Depart Craigardan on Monday after unload and clean up. Or, add an extra night and stay until Tuesday morning (optional).
LOCAL PARTICIPANTS. (Kiln firing only). Plan to participate in at least two sessions of loading, firing, or unloading. Loading on Friday afternoon, Firing all day Saturday, and unloading on Monday. Exact times and sign-ups will be available closer to the firing.
TRANSPORTATION. Participants must arrange their own transportation to the Adirondacks. The region is served by Albany, Burlington, Plattsburgh, and Saranac Lake Airports. Montreal is also only two hours away.
Keene and Keene Valley have regular bus service. Train service through Amtrak is possible from NYC or Montreal into Westport. From these locations we offer pick up/drop off for a $40 fee.
There is no Lyft, Uber, or other car service in the area. Rental cars are available at all airports.
Registration and Fees
There are three participation options:
1) LOCAL PARTICIPANTS / KILN FIRING ONLY. Reserve your spot in the kiln and pay per ware board of work. Fee includes access to studio and materials to glaze/wad pots and firing costs. Participants must sign up for at least two work shifts during loading, firing, and/or unloading. Participants are invited to join the potluck dinner during firing with wood-fired pizza provided by Craigardan.
$30 Per Ware Board: Each ware board is 18” x 25”. Work over 8” in height counts as two ware boards.
FULL PROGRAM. Fees include accommodations, food, and instruction. Ware board fees are additional.
2) $400 On-campus tent camping: Three days, Four nights / includes full program experience, dispersed camping with your own gear on site, access to all campus facilities, and all food. Ware board fees are additional based on the amount of work you plan to bring and fire. Option: stay an additional night and leave on Tuesday (includes food for additional dinner and breakfast): $50
3) $800 On-campus Cabin: Three Days, Four nights / includes full program experience, private accommodations in a cabin, access to all campus facilities, and all food. Only six cabins are available. Ware board fees are additional based on the amount of work you plan to bring and fire. Option: stay an additional night and leave on Tuesday (includes food for additional dinner and breakfast): $100
There are a limited number of need-based scholarships available, please inquire by emailing: program@craigardan.org
To Register. Space is limited. We require a 50% non-refundable deposit to hold your spot, with the balance due in full by April 1st, 2026.
Cancellation Policy. The deposit is non-refundable. If you need to cancel after the balance is paid in full, you will receive a refund only if we are able to fill your spot. We reserve the right to cancel the retreat up to 1 month prior to its scheduled start due to unforeseen circumstances. Under no circumstances will refunds for travel expenses be made.
Your Guide and Kiln Firing Leader
Michele Drozd. (she, her) Michele is the co-founder and executive director of Craigardan. She has a BFA in Ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics (NYSCC) at Alfred University, and worked under Petras Vaskys, Laszlo Fekete and Marie Baron studying design, mold making, tile, and sculpture. After traveling the world and finding her home in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, she became intensely interested in art and entrepreneurialism, the revitalization of small rural towns, food and agriculture, conservation and historic preservation - and the connections between them. Since 2002 she has worked within these fields in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Her belief that the creative process helps us imagine and build a better world has led to numerous community and social justice initiatives that use cross-disciplinary collaboration as a tool for systems change.