Hello friends!
My name is Jeffrey Lipton and I am the artist behind Jeffrey Lipton Pottery. I have been making pottery for about 15 years. It's a passion I just can't shake and I'm really excited for the next chapter of my studio practice. For years I have dreamt of building a kiln and that time is finally NOW. Having my own kiln will enable me grow my work, expand my business, and most importantly help me build community.
My plan is to build a wood fired kiln. What is a wood kiln, you ask? Well, unlike other kilns that use electricity or gas, this kiln will be fired with wood. The results of wood firing are somewhat unpredictable but often in the most beautiful ways. I am fortunate to live in Maine where trees are abundant and the wood I use will be a combination of off-cuts from milling lumber from local sawmill 5 miles down the road as well as wood from my land. It doesn't get much more local than that!
Building a kiln is a one-brick-at-a-time labor of love. This takes many hands and I am fortunate to have a number of local potters who are excited to help me out.
In addition to building the kiln I will be building a timber framed kiln shed. It will have a concrete pad with enough space to potentially build another kiln in the future. After years of saving and planning I am ready to build the infrastructure needed to take my studio practice to the next level.
With your support my dream will become a reality.
I am, therefore, reaching out today to ask for your help. By making a contribution to help fund this project you are supporting me as a maker as well as showing your commitment to supporting handmade crafts. Your support of this project means the world to me and will carry my studio work forward for years to come.
What I Need & What You Get
You don't get into pottery to make a lot of money. It's bigger than that. It's about a passion to make handmade objects that enrich peoples' lives day in and day out, as well as building community around the enjoyment and importance of handmade crafts.
This whole project, wood kiln, kiln shelves, kiln pad, and kiln shed isn't cheap. All told, I'm looking at a total cost of about $35,000. My goal is to raise $15,000 from my friends, family, and community, and the rest will be met with my personal savings.
The great thing about crowdfunding is that you can feel good about supporting my project but you ALSO get some cool perks! I have put together a wide range of gifts for whatever level of funding you are comfortable with.
Note that the images for each level of giving are just examples of the type of pot you can expect to receive. These are all images of electric fired pots so if you select to receive a wood fired pot the results will likely look quite different. In fact, I may be just as surprised with the results as you! That is simply part of the nature of wood firing. Every firing is different and it's helpful to know and appreciate that there is a lot of variability with each firing.
The Impact
One of the wonderful things about wood firing is that it draws people in. People come to help load, to help fire, and to witness the opening of the kiln. Wood is burned, food is shared, and connections are made. The end result is a kiln load of pottery after a fun weekend of hard work. And in the end, hopefully all of those pots go out into the world and make the world a more beautiful place. (thank you Miss Rumphius, I hope you don't mind me stealing your line!)
Risks & Challenges
I am breaking ground on the kiln pad in late summer of this year. The kiln shed will be built this fall, and I hope to have my kiln built by next spring or summer. With your help I will stay pretty close to that timeline. If I don't meet my fundraising goal it means I will likely go into some debt (which artists generally try to avoid!) and progress on the project will take more time. Either way, I am determined to get this whole projected completed.
All of the money raised, regardless of whether I reach my goal or not, will go to this project and your gifts will be sent out once my kiln is built. There will be a learning curve to firing the kiln as I plan to continue firing at earthenware temperatures (which is a little out of the ordinary) so pottery perks may take a few firings to be fulfilled. If you would prefer your gift sooner or just love the look of my current electric fired work I can very likely get those pots out sooner. Just select that option when choosing your level of support.
Other Ways You Can Help
If a financial contribution is not something you are able make, no problem! There are other great ways you can help.
Please share this campaign with your friends and family. Passing this along to your network is one of the best ways you can help me reach my goal.
Sign up for my mailing list on my website to be notified of future online and in-person sales.
Shop for some pottery on my website.
Follow me on social media to watch the progress of this whole exciting project.
And again, thank you!