GALA BENEFIT AUCTION featuring donated ceramic artwork by 80 artists.

• Friday evening, September 9, 6:30 pm
• Live and silent auctions, light food, wine and beer cash bar, music by the Nelson Quartet
• Tickets: $100 or $85 by 8/22 (TODAY!) Call the Mudflat office at 617-628-0589
• To preview the artwork visit the Mudflat website at www.mudflat.org/auction

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

• Saturday, September 10, 12-4 pm
• Official ribboncutting, pottery demonstrations, live music, hands-on clay activities
• Free event – open to all

Both events will be held at 81 Broadway, Somerville 02145.

Join us to see our fabulous new state-of-the-art facility and to support ceramic arts education at Mudflat!

There was table building for the handbuilding classroom.

There was more shelf building for the main wheel classroom

On Wednesday, August 3rd, we got our Certificate of Occupancy!

We had many great volunteers helping with the packing last week. Thank you!

The movers arrived at 7:30 am on Friday August 5 – Eight men, one woman, 3 trucks… 9 hours and 6 truckloads later everything was 4 blocks further east on Broadway than it had been before.  Lots of unpacking and setting up is on tap for this week. The August semester starts on Monday August 15th!

And a view of the new stacks from the gas kilns:

The spray booth, after getting a good cleaning, with thanks to Monica for use of her truck.

And 2 of the 4 electric kilns that will be in the kiln room.

Shelf building continues in the classrooms. Here is one set in the Wheel 2 classroom.

We got 2 on the kilns on their tracks. Also fitted them with gaskets at the doors and mounted the control boxes. Still need to finish setting up the large gas kiln.

Trim work was completed on the marquee. Still need exterior painting and signage.

Welcome back to our tenants, the Somerville Police Department/East Somerville substation. They occupy the left hand storefront; hours are Monday through Friday, 8 am-4 pm, with evening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Stop in and say hi to Capt. Fallon and his team.

Here are the vent stacks going up through the 2nd floor and up to the ceiling.

And check out the fancy new slot vent for the glaze mix room!

It was another shelf building weekend. We put together 4 units in the Handbuilding classroom and 3 units in the Wheel 2 classroom; that’s 132 individual shelf spaces so far.

Thanks to our talented carpentry volunteers – Bill, Jeff, Mike, Tracy, Zack, Monica, Scott, Kathy and Richard!

And a new utility sink in the kiln room!

In the meantime, here are some views of the building.

Marquee at front entrance.

Front entry with display cases.

From rear of building toward front entrance.

The multipurpose room.

The hallway to the elevator and 1st floor bathrooms.

The wall separating the main hallway and the Wheel 1 classroom.

New clay sinks!

2nd Floor Wheel 2 classroom.

2nd floor atrium and artist studios.

The lounge and balcony.

2nd floor Handbuilding classroom.

Atrium and artist studios, looking towards front of building.

The clerestory.

Our 3 Bailey kilns were delivered today – an 18 cu ft, a 32 and a 54.

First off the truck – the 54 cu ft. kiln

It just fit through the front doorway.

Even tighter fit through the kiln room doorway.

Setting it in place.Next up – the medium kiln.

And the smallest one last.

A room full of kilns, doors, kiln beds, and boxes of parts. Next is installation and venting.

A round of applause for the rigging crew – great job!