It’s time to get fired up for the ceramic sale at the Design Center.

The sale features the work of intermediate and advanced College of Design students. It’s sponsored by the Art Club and will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday in the Design Center atrium.

“Most of the work to be sold is utilitarian – it is practical,” said Ingrid Lilligren, associate professor of art and design.

Lisa Scott, a nontraditional student in ceramics, said a wide variety of items will be sold in all price ranges. “There will be mugs and bowls and platters and plates and vessels with lids. There will also be some sculptural pieces as well,” she said.

Lilligren said the ceramics students have worked on pieces specifically for the sale.

“These are extra projects the students have worked on. As long as they have been graded on it they can sell it,” Lilligren said.

Scott said different ceramic firing processes will also be represented at the sale.

“We will have electric- and gas-fired pieces as well as raku-fired pieces.”

Raku is a process in which a ceramic piece – still red-hot from firing – is placed in a metal container full of combustible material. The burning material consumes oxygen in the glaze and produces a metallic finish.

Lilligren, who also produces some work for the sale, said she always experiments with new glazes. “This year I’ve been playing around with new pinks, yellows and oranges,” she said.

Profits have varied in eight years since the ceramics sale first took place.

“We have two sales a year and they have made as little as $800 and as much as $5,000,” Lilligren said.

Lilligren said 70 percent of the profits go to the students who have created the pieces while the other 30 percent goes to the Art Club.

“It is really more of a ceramics club,” Lilligren said. “We try and sponsor activities that the entire design college can participate in.”

She said the club has sponsored events such as dances, workshops and guest speakers.

“In ceramics there is not a lot of success and when you get something nice you want to show it off,” Scott said. “And here we can make a little money too.”