Iron Pour to Bring the Heat
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 29, 2010) − Artists at the University of Kentucky are once again fired up to invite their peers, art students from the state's other universities and colleges, and the public to the 18th Annual Fall Iron Pour presented by the UK Department of Art and the SCRAP Student Sculpture Club. In celebration of the metal arts program at UK, numerous events are scheduled throughout the week leading up to the main attraction, the Iron Pour. The Iron Pour will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, in the Metal Arts Studio, located at Reynolds Building Number 2.
This popular week-long tribute to the metal arts and sculpture occurs every fall and brings aspiring artists from around the country to campus for workshops, an exhibition, a lecture by a visiting artist and a spectacular finale that includes a day around the furnace to watch as art comes to life at the Iron Pour.
Iron workshops will be offered from Monday, Nov. 1, to Friday, Nov. 5, including one on "Bonded Sand and Ceramic Shell Mold Making." This year's Iron Art Exhibition is free and open to the public and will run from Wednesday, Nov. 3, to Saturday, Nov. 6, in the Barnhart Gallery.
In addition to workshops and the Iron Art Exhibition, the public is invited to a lecture given by visiting artist Deborah LaGrasse, an associate professor at Florida A&M School of Architecture.
Before becoming a faculty member at Florida A&M, LaGrasse received her bachelor's degree in painting from the University of Florida and received her master's degree in sculpture from Southern Illinois University. A recipient of the Individual Artist Fellowship award from the state of Florida, she has exhibited several places, including "Iron Tribe" in Denver, Colo., the EyeDrum Gallery in Atlanta, Ga., and The Gallery @ Cowcross in London, England.
LaGrasse's lecture, which will focus on her life's work, will be at noon Friday, Nov. 5, in 118 White Hall Classroom Building. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The 18th Annual Iron Pour, which is free to spectators, will take center stage Saturday, Nov. 6. The pour demonstrates the most dramatic part of the metal-casting process involving a five-foot-tall steel furnace that cooks a concoction of coal, recycled iron and crushed limestone for two hours.
"We host this national caliber event to share the experience of an iron pour so audience members may take the practice and experience back and apply it for themselves in their schools or communities," said Garry Bibbs, associate professor of art and head of UK sculpture.
Many artists turn out for the event to finish pieces of their work. It is $40 to produce a mold measuring up to 100 pounds in sand and 30 pounds in metal. Another $20 covers each additional 100 pounds of sand or 30 pounds of metal.
Art students from other disciplines and art enthusiasts from the community can also try their hand at sculpture on scratch blocks. Individuals can purchase a scratch block for $10 to $15 and leave with a piece of art. Individuals test their talents by etching an image in the resin tablets, having graphite applied and watching as the scratch block is processed in the iron pour.
For times and locations of specific events or workshops or for more information on the 18th Annual Iron Pour, contact Garry Bibbs, at (859) 257-3719 or e-mail to garry.bibb@uky.edu.