Become Friend or Patron
You can join as an resident artist, a Friend or Patron.
Most of our public programs also benefit our resident artists, especially our three big annual sales, the spring Garden show, Art Beat, and the Holiday Walk. All artists work at these sales, taking turns selling in the showroom, giving tours, and putting out refreshments. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk with the public and learn about them, inform them, and make friends.
Fire Arts Thanks their Generous Supporters
The City of South Bend has demonstrated their support of Fire Arts' contributions to the community, through their Department of Redevelopment, in generously selling it the building it's artists have been investing a lot of sweat equity into for the last five years. Fire Arts purchased the building that would have been torn down by now for $10, with the condition it continue as a not-for-profit fine arts studio and gallery.
The Community Foundation of St. Joseph County has also demonstrated their support with a very generous $5,000 contribution that Fire Arts had to raise funds to match.
Fire Arts Patrons:
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Fire Arts Friends:
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With Fire Arts purchase of it's building, our supporter's contributions support a now permanent Art Anchor in their community.
Since the building purchase Fire Arts has replaced a dangerous, inefficient, old, wood overhead door with a new steel insulated one and replace a furnace leaking carbon monoxide with a new, safer, and more efficient one.
Fire Arts has more plans for their building and more contributions to make to the community. Thanks for your support
Join Fire Arts and be part of the fun!
Become a Friend of Fire Arts: $30 Students, $50 Adults
- Attend events we only invite Friends to.
- Receive a free Fire Arts book bag with a card indicating you are a Friend of Fire Arts.
- 10% off all workshops and lectures.
- Receive our 4-page, illustrated b/w newsletter (or get the color version via email.)
- Receive e-nouncements of our exhibitions and other activities.
- Attend our special community-centered events.
Your Friend level of support brings you all these benefits while it supports our lectures, tours, demonstrations, the Talented Student Summer Program, and exhibitions of three-dimensional artwork.
Become a Patron: $200 and higher
Receive all the above benefits of the Friend level of support plus:
- 10% off all lectures and workshops
- Patron Preview Party: You will be invited to enjoy special hors d’oeuvres in an intimate party for patrons and exhibiting artists before each of our three community-wide exhibits. This is your opportunity to see the artwork without the crowds, to have the first chance to buy the best artwork, and to chat with your favorite artists and with our other supporters.
To become a supporting Friend or Patron, stop by the studio or contact us.
Artist in Residence
An artist who pays dues at Fire Arts gets access to a fully equipped 8,000 square foot studio in which to make pottery, sculpture, jewelry, or ? They will be able to work among others artists in an informal way, learning, teaching, sharing, skills, ideas, & enthusiasms, or in a formal way with a mentor to learn a particular skill. Fire Arts provides the large equipment and space to make a temporary mess, and each artist provides their own art materials, hand tools, and specialty tools. We also offer two places for resident artists to show their work, a physical showroom at this location and a virtual showroom on the web through artist's pages on Fire Arts website.
CERAMICS - Create ceramics on the wheel or make hand built artwork. Most of our artists have their own wheels, but others may be available. All potters provide their own art materials and tools and share the cost of glazes and firing.
SCULPTURE - Sculptors can bring their own modeling stand or borrow one if available. All artists are responsible for their own materials, hand tools, supplies, etc. Artists working from a model share the cost of the model. Sculptors share the fuel cost for burning out their wax and casting bronze.
JEWELRY - Our growing jewelry area has recently added a professional buffer and Metal cutter to the small kilns and work tables available.
Download an artist's application (MS Word), or contact us if you are interested in learning more.
Artist in Residence Fees
SATURDAY Resident Artist $75/MONTH
Work 10-4 on Saturdays alongside other artists.
EVENING Resident Artist $75/MONTH
Work Tuesday and Thursday evenings alongside other artists from 6:30 - 9:30.
SATURDAY AND EVENING Resident Artist $100/MONTH
Work Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6:30 - 9:30 and 10-4 on Saturdays alongside other artists.
FULL TIME Resident Artist $500 one time fee plus $150/ mo.
Artists get their own key to the building and can work at any time of day or night.
This is an elected position.
Fire Arts thanks many for their service:
Below are just some of the helpful people who have donated their services to Fire Arts:
- President: Bill Healy
- Vice President: Yvonne Desrosiers
- Secretary: Jackie Carlson
- Treasurer: Dick Trench
- Events Co-Chairpersons: Julie Neises & Jackie Carlson
- Publicity Advisor: Ralph Lampkin
- Publicity – Community Events: Kathy Reddy-White
- Building Manager: Bill Healy
- Accounting Advisor: Kurt Krueggel
- Tax Advisor: Ron May, Schroeder May & Associates
- Website Advisor: Kay Westhues
- Technical Advisor for Sculpture: Tuck Langland
- Technical Advisor for Ceramics: Yvonne Desrosiers
- Computer Technical Advisors: Becky Wainwright and Yvonne Desrosiers
- Writers: Janice Langland, Julie Neises, and Jackie Carlson
- Photographer: Bill Healy
- Designers: Becky Wainwright, Dave Blodgett, and Jackie Carlson
- Thailand Liaisons: Barry and Lily Davis
- Special collaboration with:
- Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, Dowagiac
- CircaArts, South Bend
- Fiddlers Hearth (in 2009)
You or your organization can also support Fire Arts and help keep the arts alive in Michiana. Check out our wish list if you have equipment you would like to donate.