Iron Pour

Ancient artists in metal casting believed that fire unleashed the creativity of the gods. Bristol Community College Art instructor Erik Durant wanted to demonstrate the primeval practice and spark those muses in his modern students.

The Art Department will host The Iron Guild on Thursday, November 12, from 6-9 p.m. behind the Commonwealth College Center on the Fall River Campus to fire up a portable furnace and pour molten medal into molds the students have prepared in sculpture class. The Iron Pour is free and open to the public, funded by a grant from the Bristol Community College Foundation.

The Iron Guild is a group of metal artists who met in art school and were captivated by molten iron. Over the years, the Iron Guild has built many iron casting furnaces and organized numerous iron pour events. Combining traditional foundry techniques with innovative spectacle performances, the Iron Guild explores what is possible with molten iron.

Melting iron through the use of a bloomery furnace has been traced back to 500 BC. It wasn’t until the 14th century that the blast furnace appeared. These furnaces were an integral part of the industrial revolution. The cupolas that Iron Guild members have built are a variation of these furnaces.  Through surrounding the iron with fuel (such as coke - a form of coal) and intensifying the heat through a blast of air, the cupola reaches temperatures of nearly 3000ºF. The cupolas of the Iron Guild tap approximately 100 pounds of iron per half hour.

Professor Durant’s successful BCC Foundation grant will give students the opportunity to learn the technically challenging skill while creating a cast iron sculpture for their portfolio. The drama of the iron pour will be open to the public, challenging the boundaries and unleashing the creative potential of burgeoning artists in our community.

For more information, contact Professor Durant at 508-678-2811, ext. 2893.