Burien Parks is holding a “Fire It Up With Raku” class on Tuesdays at the Moshier Art Center starting July 14th for tweens and teens aged 11 to 17.

Now, before you get all suspicious ’bout the kids and think “fire it up with what-huh?” you should know what “Raku” is.

According to Wikipedia, it’s:

Raku-yaki (楽焼), or Raku ware, is a type of Japanese pottery that is traditionally and primarily used in the Japanese tea ceremony in Japan, most often in the form of tea bowls. It is traditionally characterized by hand-molding of the clay as opposed to turning it on a potter’s wheel, resulting in each piece being “one-of-a-kind”; low firing temperatures (resulting in a fairly porous body); lead glazes; and the removal of pieces from the kiln while still glowing hot. In the traditional Japanese firing process, the fired piece is removed from the hot kiln and put directly into water or allowed to cool in the open air. Raku techniques have been adopted and modified by contemporary potters worldwide.

Here are the class details:

WHAT: “Fire It Up With Raku” pottery class for ages 11-17; 6 classes total

WHEN: Tuesdays, starting July 14th through Aug. 18th, from 9:30-11:30am

WHERE: Moshier Community Art Center, located at 430 South 156th Street

COST: $75

REGISTER: Register at Burien Parks and Rec: 206-988-3700 or online here.

INFO: Here’s the Burien Parks’ description of the class:

Play with a little fire this summer! Create one of a kind handbuilt projects for a special Raku firing outdoors.

Watch as you pull your glazed pot from a flaming hot kiln, place it in a metal bucket filled with paper and then minutes later open the bucket to reveal fantastic metallic surfaces created by the smoke.

All supplies provided. Returning students welcome! Parents are welcome and encouraged to come to last day of class.

Because of raku firing, note different class time on August 18th: 9:30-1:30pm