National Casting Center Foundry

USUK International Iron Symposium

2012-01-11T20:43:00.002-05:00

2012 SPRING SEMESETER INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

WANT TO LEND A HAND !!

USUK CAST IRON SCULPTURE SYMPOSIUM TO BE HELD IN SCOTLAND, UK + NEW YORK, USA

Come on by the Career Centre to Find out more on

Thurs Jan 19th @ 4.30 + 5.30pm

Two Positions Available : As an assistant marketing manager for the USUK Cast Iron Sculpture Symposium you will help oversee the production of a catalogue and website as well as assist with administration involved in the general organization and promotion of the symposium. USUK is an International Sculpture Symposium which will be held in the summer of 2012 between Salem Art Works, New York and Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Scotland.
Qualifications include marketing, design, website, administration. The successful candidate must demonstrate good organizational and communication skills as well as reliability.

PowerPoint presentation about USUK and Application Forms available at the Informational Meeting.

POUR YOUR HEART OUT : SUCCESS!

2011-02-11T07:56:00.011-05:00

$2,500 of success and we are still counting!
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Even though the weather was not the best we had a great turn out with people coming from all over to watch free flowing Molten Metal and participate in making 'Relief Sculptures'.

Everyone filled up on some classic Guild Cheese Sandwiches, poured and danced away the afternoon to music provided by DJ Millhouse.

The Silent Art Auction comprised of over 110 pieces donated by students, faculty and local Alfred artists.

Thank You to everyone who participated : the money raised will be split between The Alfred A + E Crandall Hook and Ladder Company and Doctors Without Borders in Haiti.
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We still have some T-Shirts left at $5 each so please contact the Foundry Guild if you would like to order one.

LIZ HELFER VISIT

2011-02-07T21:42:00.006-05:00

TALK + PIZZA : TUESDAY 8th Feb 2011 @ 7pm

2010 Alfred Graduate Liz Helfer returns to give a talk about her experience of making large scale work as an intern at Franconia Sculpture Park in Minnesota last summer. As well as working at the park with resident visiting artists she also created her own work, 'Most Heat Moon' a floating Sculpture which she sailed down the St Criox River.

Join Liz for some Pizza + a Talk as she shares her experience and informs about current opportunites for you at Franconia Sculpture Park this coming summer !

"The Miniature and Beyond"

2011-02-02T08:09:00.009-05:00

Students in the junior level Sculpture Foundry class were asked to find an object small enough to fit into the palm of their hand and respond to it in a way that captures the most vital and interesting qualities of that object to them. Their final project could be a series of cast parts which could take the form of an installation incorporating other materials along with the cast object. Here are some examples of their work as seen in the Sculpture Galleries for their midterm critique with Professor Lambert.

Alex Reed : Cast Iron, Aluminum + Railroad Spikes and Turf.

Aaron Spadaro : Enamelled Cast Iron, Toys and Debris.

Margaret Cohen : Centrifugal Cast bronze + Fillament.

David Holub : 'Self' Cast Aluminum + Bronze

Sharie Willey : 'Comparisons' Cast bronze, Iron, Aluminum + Stone

Christiana Allen : Cast Bronze + Bone

Andrew Brisson : Cast Bronze, Gold Fish + Aquarium

JEFF KALSTROM

2010-04-05T19:01:00.004-04:00

VISITING ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Nationally recognized cast metal sculptor from Minnesota will work in the foundry alongside students from April 1st - 10th. Kalstrom's sculpture uses animal archetypes to consider human identity, examining animal images that carry meanings and reflects the dynamic that their form and behavior have with our cultural myths.

ARTIST PRESENTATION

Thursday April 8th

6pm Room C – 106 BMH

All events are free + open to everyone!
Supported in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board

POUR For HAITI !

2010-01-24T16:00:00.005-05:00

The Alfred Foundry Guild invite you to help raise money and awareness for the Earthquake Victims of Haiti.

Members of the community of Alfred, and surrounding towns are invited to visit the Foundry to create their own ‘relief sculpture’ by carving a design into a block of sand which you can then watch being cast in hot metal by Foundry Students.

A suggested donation of $10 is given in exchange for the experience of making a sculpture which participants can take home with them the same day. This activity is open to adults and children with adult supervision. Anyone can do it! As Alfred Foundry Students will be there to guide you through the process of carving the designs.The tools for carving the designs will be provided.

All money raised will be directly donated to a legitimate charity working with the earthquake victims of Haiti.

Other events include : Silent Art Action, Raffle of goods + services donated by area businesses, Music, T-shirts and food such as The Foundry 'Guild Cheese' sandwiches!

So come along, hang out, eat, listen to music, meet the artists, see great art, buy great art and watch the action of the metal being melted and poured to create sculpture and best of all you can do all this whilst raising money and awareness for the Haiti Earthquake Victims!

Flaming Flamingo!

2010-01-21T13:50:00.009-05:00

Foundry Senior Tom Wulf's "Flamingo Pickaxe', pictured here with 'Baby Sledge' has been selected to represent Alfred Sculpture Division at the “SUNY Art Student Exhibition Series” at Suny Albany, New York. The exhibition will run from February 15 to May 28, 2010.

Each Spring and Fall the exhibition will enable the SUNY community, as well as the larger Albany community, to experience first hand the excellent art being produced by the student artists who learn within the SUNY System.

Out of that exhibit two pieces are chosen as the Best in Show and are awarded a $1000 scholarship and four pieces are given an honorable mention with a $500 scholarship.

SUMMER SCHOOL ENROLLMENT OPENS MARCH 15th!

2010-01-10T19:37:00.003-05:00

SCULPTURE : Iron Casting Demystified
Faculty: Coral Lambert, Professor of Sculpture

May 17 - June 4, 2010 (3 weeks)
Monday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm

This 3 week course provides a unique opportunity to explore an expanding contemporary art form within a rich tradition. Students will experience the art and act of iron casting from the ground up by learning how to build and operate an 800# Iron Cupola Furnace, make molds, cast and finish sculpture. Skills taught include furnace building, welding, wax working, ceramic shell, sand molding, Iron Pour preparation, casting iron, metal finishing, chasing and patination.

Topics covered are Contemporary Cast Iron Sculpture and the Tradition of Iron Casting.

Students will have the freedom to experiment, no experience necessary.

TO REGISTER GOT TO: WWW.ALFRED.EDU/SUMMER/SCHOOL

FOR ACCOMMODATIONS CALL THE STUDENT SERVICE CENTER ON 607 871 2123

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL CATHLEEN JOHNSON @ THE SCHOOL OF ART ON 607 871 2412

2009-12-31T10:25:00.007-05:00

SPARKS FLY as Junior Sculpture Student Sharie Willey receives The 2009 Winter Foundry Apprenticeship. She is seen here preparing Professor Lambert's cast iron + steel Sculpture 'Cloud Split Open' for patination before it goes on exhibition.

2009-12-03T15:06:00.003-05:00

POURING AT SALEM

2009-11-22T21:38:00.002-05:00

Enjoy this short video of Alfred and other Students pouring iron using 'MothRa' at the Intercollegiate Pour at Salem Art Works
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txY5sF6tWJ8&NR=1

FIERY POSTER BY ERNIE LEGG !

2009-10-22T15:05:00.004-04:00

MELTDOWN 09 Resident VISITING ARTISTS

2009-10-22T14:44:00.009-04:00

Sculptor, Christian Benefiel from Baltimore, MD

Carolyn Ottmers, Head of Foundry at The school of the Art Institute, Chicago

Andy Griffiths, Head of Sculpture at West Wales School of Art, UK.

Each of these artists will be working in foundry the week prior to 'Meltdown' Come see their work in progress. Work also on view in 'Ferrous Bloom - The Nature of Iron' international exhibition at the Fosdick Nelson Gallery.

Photos from AU's trip to SAW!

2009-10-22T14:04:00.003-04:00

ANY OLE' IRON

2009-10-21T11:22:00.005-04:00

Turn Your Cast Iron Scrap into Art !

Call for Cast Iron

Contact lambertc@alfred.edu if you would like to donate your old bath tub, sink, drain pipes, radiators or brake discs to be melted down for 'MELTDOWN' OCt 31st

Donations accepted at the Foundry.

Thank You.

MELTDOWN T-SHIRTS

2009-10-16T13:08:00.008-04:00

Winner!

Designed by Justin Harney

Selected by Print Professor Will Contino

Screen Printed by Paige Henry.

Glow in the Dark + Orange on Black

Also Printed on Your own Stuff!

Available on the Day of the Pour

The back of the shirt has the list of 'Meltdown' participants.

MELTDOWN 2009

2009-10-14T10:11:00.002-04:00

MELTDOWN
3rd Annual Iron Pour + Metal Casting Convention

Saturday 31st October 2009 10am–10pm

The Foundry, at The National Casting Center, NYSCC @ Alfred University School of Art welcomes you to an all day plethora of live demonstrations of the different casting processes and techniques used to make sculpture by the Sculpture/Dimensional Studies Foundry students. Joining Alfred Students will be students and faculty from other schools.

THE ALCHEMIST MENU INCLUDES :

Brunch @ 10am Steel Induction Pour + Coffee + Donuts

Lunch @ Noon Centrifugal Casting + Guild Cheese

Dinner from 2–7pm Bronze + Iron

Furnaces: Cleopatra, Anthony + Cesar
Cupola Iron Pour starring ‘MOTH-RA’ and ‘VegGie?’
Sand, Ceramic Shell, Traditional + Experimental Molds

Desert @ 8pm Fiery Halloween Treats + Potluck

Also Featuring:

‘Ferrous Bloom – The Nature of Iron’ an international exhibition of work celebrating the diversity of Iron as an art medium at the Fosdick Nelson Gallery

Opening Reception FRIDAY OCT 30th 7 – 9pm

‘ALL STAR CAST’ : a student exhibition of Cast Metal Sculpture inside and outside the Foundry. Students from other schools and Alfred alumni are welcome to bring a piece, if you can also bring a pedestal!

Places to Stay in Alfred:
Economy Inn 836 Route 244, Alfred , NY 14802 607 587 9555
(Speak to Varsat and ask for the special ‘Meltdown’ rate of $50 per night for a double room)

Saxon Inn 1 Park Street, Alfred, NY 14802 607 871 2600
(from $70)

Camping $10 A night at Foster Lake, email Coral Lambert @ lambertc@alfred.edu

Beds and Sofa’s – we have a list of students that have kindly offered basic crash pads for other visiting students: Please let me know if you are looking for a place to crash on Friday and Saturday night.

Molds
Please bring your molds ready to pour, you are welcome to come drop them off on Friday.

Cost
We just ask to cover the cost of the Metal:
Iron @ 50c : Bronze @ $3.50 : Ali @ $1 per #
And of course any food contributions to the Potluck would be welcome!

Calendar
Friday: People start arriving, setting up molds
7-9pm Opening Reception of ‘Ferrous Bloom’ at the Fosdick Nelson Gallery
Sat: 7am- Breakfast at the Jet
8am – light induction furnace, set up molds
10am – 10pm Meltdown!
Sun 9am – Clean Up begins!

2009-06-07T22:21:00.005-04:00

Summer School Students help build new Iron Furnace called 'TARA' named after the goddess of liberation and compassion, her first mission is to travel to Salem Art Works for the USUK International Cast Iron Sculpture Symposium. She then next will be in operation at Alfred Foundry's Annual 'Meltdown' on Oct 31st 2009.

Scott Lamont Awarded Apprenticeship

2009-01-23T16:06:00.015-05:00

Congratulations go to Junior Sculpture Student Scott Lamont who was awarded the first Foundry Apprenticeship supported by Dean Lewis, School of Art and Design, NYSCC @ Alfred University. It is planned that this new program will become an integral part of the Foundry Program.

So, over the winter months whilst everyone was eating cake and opening presents some were feeding the furnace and opening molds!

'Apprenticing with Professor Coral Lambert this winter break has been a very interesting and motivating experience. As an apprentice I was asked to be directly involved in the creation of Professor Lambert's work, which gave me a great deal of experience in the casting process in a short amount of time. I became more familiar with the materials and techniques used in the foundry, such as sand molds and metal finishing. One of the most interesting things I learned about was how to operate and maintain a gas fired furnace. Pouring metal and finishing pieces for the whole break has given me much more experience in the casting process than taking a class could provide alone. Coral answered any questions I had about casting, gave me advice for my own work, and explained the creative process behind her own work. I highly recommend the apprentice program to any students who wish to become more skilled in their chosen media. It is a great way to learn as much as possible directly from an experienced artist and apply that knowledge to your own work.' Scott Lamont

Also a big Thank You to Ceramics Grad, Eliza Au + Foundry Tech, Mark Kessel for helping with the pours!

Countdown to

2008-11-29T10:39:00.004-05:00

MELTDOWN 2008 !

The 2nd annual Iron Pour and Metal Casting Convention.

Thank You to everyone who made participated to create another great MELTDOWN @ The National Casting Center.

We poured two ton of metal in ten hours !

Check out these photo albums

From Skidmore College : www.skidmore.edu/~jgalt

From Alfred's very own Devin Henry : http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x52/MrDSir/FoundryMeltDown11-15-08/

Poster Designed by Alfred Grad + Foundry TA : Stephen Coles

VEGGIE FURNACE

2008-11-23T19:21:00.005-05:00

For the Environmental Foundry Course, Senior Sculpture Student , Nina Chesakov recieved an Alfred Research Grant for Undergraduate Students (argus) to research and build a vegetable oil furnace fired by recyled veggie oil from the campus cafe. Using half of an old 55 gal drum lined with hand made refractory she melted and cast copper and bronze into clay molds.

http://picasaweb.google.com/alfredfoundry/VEGGIEFURNACE#

Visiting Artist : Wayne Potratz

2008-11-04T15:03:00.001-05:00

Wayne Potratz, Professor of Sculpture and Foundry at the University of Minnesota came as a visitng artist to Alfred Foundry. During his visit he demonstrated African, Indian , Meso American and Japanese Clay Mold techniques for casting iron and bronze.

Visit ALBUMS link to view images.

http://picasaweb.google.com/alfredfoundry/WaynePotratz

Salem Art Works, New York

2008-10-03T19:55:00.002-04:00

Intercollegiate Iron Pour : Sept 27th 2008

Schools attended : Alfred, Suny Albany, Skidmore + Bennington

Furnace 'Mothra' Poured 1500# Iron Approx 50 molds

Check out 'ALBUMS' link to see photos !

http://picasaweb.google.com/alfredfoundry/IntercollegiatePourSept2008

MELTDOWN

2007-11-04T15:31:00.001-05:00

! ! hot ! ! hOt ! stuff ! ! h o t ! ! s t u f f ! ! ! ! HOT ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!

MELTDOWN 2007 !

The 1st annual Iron Pour and Metal Casting Convention.

http://picasaweb.google.com/alfredfoundry