Fired Works is now in its eighth year. The 2013 edition features the most artists ever included in the event.

Fired Works Regional Ceramics Exhibition and Sale kicked off on Saturday, April 13 at the Round Building in Central City Park in Macon. The nine-day event will continue through April 21. The exhibit and sale features work by 68 artists and more than 6,000 pieces of pottery and ceramic sculpture. The show’s hours are Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Daily tickets are $5 per person.

Meg Campbell leads Clay in the Classroom, a clay workshop for teachers.

In addition to the exhibit, Fired Works features an array of educational opportunities for children, teens and adults. On Saturday morning, two Clay Workshops for Children were held in the park, led by local potter Mark Merritt. In the afternoon, Meg Campbell led Clay in the Classroom, a workshop for teachers interested in incorporating pottery into the classroom. Those who missed the workshops on the first Saturday have a second chance. Additional workshops for children and teens will be held on April 20.

Frank Vickery discusses his approach to making art out of mud. Photo by Heatherly Wakefield

Saturday morning, featured regional artist Frank Vickery presented an artist talk about his work, which is featured at the exhibit. Vickery is the ceramics program coordinator at The Bascom, A Center for the Visual Arts, in Highlands, North Carolina. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Western Carolina University, a bachelor’s degree in arts education and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Winthrop University.

John Skelton discusses the history of pottery at Fired Works. Photo by Heatherly Wakefield

On Sunday afternoon, John Skelton, a professor of art at Macon’s Wesleyan College, presented a talk about the history of pottery and the techniques of working with clay. He used examples from the exhibit to explain the difference between earthenware, stoneware, porcelain and low-, mid-, and high-temperature firings.

Those interested in additional activities at Fired Works should visit FiredWorksMacon.com. On the schedule are Wednesday night Cocktails and Clay Workshops for adults ($30 per person), a Pickin’ and Pottery event ($15 per person) on Friday, April 19, and workshops for children and teens on Saturday.