Iron pour to share with locals art, history

The combination of barbecue, bands and an art auction makes for a lively spring afternoon. But what about when hot molten iron is thrown into the mix?

The Sculpture Guild at IU will be sponsoring “Iron It Out,” an iron pour, from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of the McCalla Sculpture School.

The Guild’s interest in having the pour stemmed from a similar event in Columbus, Ind., said Payson McNett, Guild president and MFA student in sculpture. After a successful pour in the neighboring eastern town, Payton decided to create a similar event for Bloomington.

IU Student Association partnered with the Guild to put on the event.

This partnership is one that McNett said he values.

“IUSA encourages civic engagement in order to involve the greater Bloomington community,” he said. “This pour will be open to the whole community, not just the isolated artists.”

The parking lot of the McCalla School will hold the homemade furnace and cupula that the group created for this event.

Allison Baker, secretary for the Sculpture Guild and BFA student in sculpture, said she hopes the nature of the iron pour will bring out a large crowd.

“There are so many people and hands involved that you want to make it into a big event,” Baker said. “There will be a lot of fire, four thousand pounds of iron molten to three thousand degrees.”

She said the physical work of the task is demanding but worth it in the end.  

McNett said he thinks the greatest benefit of the event is its educational value.

Kids from the Boys and Girls Club, with whom McNett has worked and said are talented artists, will have work included in the auction.

Additionally, the event will highlight the process of sculpture.

“People don’t realize how cast objects are made,” McNett said. “We’re using a mix of old and new techniques — the furnace is something you might see at the turn of the century. If we don’t keep people educated about it, it might disappear.”

For those who yearn for even more insight into the art of the pour, there will be a lecture by guest artist Jim Brenner at 6:45 p.m. today in Fine Arts 102. Baker said Brenner will speak about the history and fundamentals of pouring iron.

Regardless of your previous knowledge, Baker said the pour is still an event worth attending.

“You could come to the pour not knowing a lot and still have fun,” she said. “I mean music, fire, hot iron — it should be a great time.”