By Miranda Duncan, contributor
Photos by Ashley Seilhamer
There is only a barrier of small compressed bentonite clay and sand between the person and the liquid metal. With two skillfully aimed stabs at this barrier in the pour spout, and the clay gives and the furnace is tapped. Once caught, the gushing 2000 plus degree liquid iron fills the waiting ladle and the crucible is maneuvered over open mouthed molds. This brief description is the defining element of an iron pour, a frequent event around SCAD sculpture Department.
At one such pour in mid-March, sculpture professor, Allen Peterson, suggested participating in an iron pour at Sloss Furnaces.
The National Conference on Cast Iron Arts at Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Ala. is biannual a professional and student juried art show, panel and workshop based conference and student cupola competition. The team had three weeks to raise funds, register for the competition, and build their own cupola. A cupola is a small cylinder-shaped furnace for melting iron and a type of refined charcoal called coke. Quickly organized into a club focused on cast metal art and foundry practices, the team got right to work to make their deadline.
Page Burch, second-year M.F.A. sculpture student, also know as the Furnace Boss, headed up the fabrication and construction of the team’s cupola called Lil’ Slowpoke. Recent B.F.A. sculpture graduate, Duncan Shirah assisted Burch to complete this monumental task in less than a week. Club President, Miranda Duncan, and VP, Ashley Seilhamer, both first-year M.F.A. sculpture students, organized a production iron pour at StudioPlex’s Janke Glass Blowing studio. Team member Lauren Markland, second-year B.F.A. sculpture student, designed all of the patterns to be poured, while recent grad B.F.A. sculpture student, Margo Mason, and Whitney Harrel, first-year M.F.A sculpture student, Duncan and Seilhamer worked daily over spring break making sand molds for the patterns. The Janke event raised over 500 dollars, enough to cover the crew’s gas and food for the week at Sloss.
The first competitive iron pour team left for the conference April 9, anxious, excited and the certain underdogs. The first few days were a blur of panels and exhibition pours. Burch and Duncan represented SCAD’s sculpture M.F.A. at the National M.F.A. recruitment panel on Thursday. Friday arrived, and the small team of six geared up for a head to head with some of the most renowned metal arts schools in the country: Texas A&M, University of Wisconsin, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, University of North
Florida, and Ole Miss. The competition broke down into three categories: Best Crew, Hottest Metal and the most prestigious award, First Tap. The First Tap winner is considered the National Champion.
After a two hour burn-in, also known as warming up the furnace, the roar of the blower drowned out everything and words weren’t necessary. Burch captained the crew through gestures. Lil Slowpoke was melting the iron down so fast Burch had to check and see if the other teams were even close to the same stage. In a break away from the other teams, the cupola was ready to be tapped. Three strikes to the clay and the red liquid iron was free. The crowd erupted into applause and unhinged noise. The underdogs had done it. The little team from SCAD had won First Tap, they were National Champions.
Post victory, affectionately dubbed Heavy Metal, the club is now seeking to promote and recruit more passionate artists. Education, technique, scholastic achievement are at the core of the club’s values. Members organize workshops and exhibitions to share their knowledge and to facilitate a fun learning environment for those interested in cast and foundry metal arts. Normal meetings are biweekly. For inquiries on joining the club, email Miranda Duncan.