Our Equipment/Capacity
For Art Production
Tuck Langland and Jackie Carlson in the foundry area.
Don Latowski and Jackie Carlson are discussing a project in the large open
area of Fire Arts where big projects take place.
An artist who pays dues at Fire Arts, Inc. doesn’t get an exclusive but empty space in which to work; s/he gets a fully equipped 8,000 square foot studio in which to make pottery or sculpture. Fire Arts provides the equipment, and each artist provides their own hand tools, specialty tools, sculpture stand, and art materials. There is also a charge for utilities, particularly for the bronze foundry and the kilns.
Our studio has well equipped areas for woodworking, wax, rubber, and plaster, and a metal finishing area that includes many ways to weld. Our kiln room, half of which is for sculptors, half for potters, plus a jewelers area, includes a bronze melting furnace and a wax burnout kiln. The pottery side boasts large and small electric kilns (cone 6), a large gas kiln (cone 10) and a raku kiln. Some potters bring their own wheel, and we have four wheels available for general use.
For Art Education
Fire Arts showroom
Yvonne Desrosiers and Tuck Langland in the Fire Arts office.
Our facilities can supplement your art education program. Speak with us about bringing your class to use our facilities. At least one of our artists will be here to facilitate the operation.
Schools or organizations may arrange for a lecture tour, with or without demonstrations. Organizations may arrange for their entire meeting to occur at Fire Arts, including the simple refreshments. We have a small kitchen to accomodate you.
Any member of the public is invited to attend our free Tuesday Tours around seven every Tuesday evening.
Interested in becoming a Resident Artist? See our Artist Programs page.
Our History
The Seed of an Idea
Milestone One – Acquiring a Building
Fire Arts, Inc. had an invisible nine months during which a pregnant idea imbedded itself in the minds of a few dislocated sculptors and took shape behind closed doors. Those original founders held meetings, trysts, if you will, at Honkers, Lula’s, and the library at IUSB. They jammed themselves into each others homes, a beauty shop, a gallery, and a break room. They met in cold buildings that the city wanted them to consider, and finally, they met at the old PAC building, where they fell in love. It was the home that they would have designed for themselves. All it needed was some TLC, cash support, and nine more months of labor. The founders and the City of South Bend made their pledge to one another, and Fire Arts, Inc. grew into life. The city and FAI came to an agreement regarding the use of the building and the hard work began.
Year One – 2004
From An Idea to a Reality
Starting with the seed of an idea, FAI has grown from an idea to a reality. The board of directors began to clarify the vision for the organization and they formed a system of governance. In August of 2004 the board concluded that FAI’s mission dictated that the business recreate itself as a not-for-profit organization and they filed the paperwork to begin the process of becoming a 501(c)(3) corporation.
The first year, FAI had a disorderly building filled with donated furniture and tools, no heat or plumbing and only basic electricity but most importantly, they had the vision to turn an abandoned building into a hub of activity in a community that was dreaming about revitalization. The building needed repairs, order, and lots of paint. One year and thousands of dollars later, with help from community members, artists and friends, spending every Tuesday and Thursday evening plus many weekends over a period of nine months, Fire Arts could finally say, “Our building is ready.”
Community need dictated two programs that were not initially anticipated: Fire Arts established Tuesday Tours and a Night Category that accommodated more working artists by lowering the cost and making the studio available during evening hours.
Year 2 – 2005
Building on the Dream
FAI continued to grow and became more involved in community events by participating in community arts events and attending meetings concerned with revitalization, growth and business interests. The artists numbers increased from the previous year and the economic outlook was stable. Committees were formed to address key issues and Fire Arts members were pulling together as a team.
Artwork began to be produced in bigger numbers. The public was invited to celebrate with Fire Arts by attending bronze pourings and raku firings and the showroom came together for artists to display and sell finished work. The newspaper and local and public television stations featured Fire Arts as an exciting, up-and-coming place in downtown South Bend. Local universities and colleges were invited to use FAI facilities to supplement their own campus services and organizations began to use Fire Arts’ studio for their own meetings.
Fire Arts’ members continued to work in the studio to establish the organization as a vital arts resource in the community. Artists gave tours and demonstrations, supported community businesses by donating works of art to various auctions and looked for ways to serve the community, all the while creating their art.
Year 3 – 2006, the Present
Milestone 2 – Becoming a 501 (c) (3) Corporation
Daring to Dream
2006 proved to be another productive year for Fire Arts, Inc. An events calendar was established and workshops, lectures and slide shows were added to the agenda.
More Participation Categories were added to accommodate more artists and their needs and programs designed to respond to community requests were developed. The Saturday option was created and a new Combined Night and Saturday category was added.
In the spring of 2006, FAI became a 501(c)(3) corporation. Soon after receiving the official letter of determination, seven of FAI’s members traveled to Thailand at the invitation of the Thai government to visit their government foundry, travel to temples and ruins, view public monuments and art collections and participate in a cultural exchange with Thai sculptors, painters, ceramicists, performing artists and the finest craftspeople in Thailand.
For the first time, new outside board members were added and fundraising ideas began to take seed.
2007 and Beyond
Putting Plans into Action
Fundraising and community involvement are the goals for 2007. To fulfill their wish list, FAI needs to raise funds to purchase everything from the building they call home to replacing old equipment and adding new equipment, from establishing a 3-D Arts endowment to creating scholarship programs.
International cultural exchange will also be the focus of fundraising efforts as Fire Arts, Inc. prepares to host a small group of artists from Thailand for two weeks in the spring of 2008.