Monday, 13 September 2010 20:24

April 13-16, 2011

 

In 1988 Tom Gipe, Wayne Potratz and a cadre of like-minded artist foundrymen brought the first National Conference on Contemporary Art to Sloss.  After a second conference at Sloss in 1994, the event went international, to be hosted not only in the USA but also abroad, most recently at the Kidwelly Industrial Museum in Wales.  But 1994 marked a turning point for Sloss as well, for that year marked the creation of the first Sloss foundry and with it, the Metal Arts program. For many years, a centerpiece of the program was the biennial Southern Conference on Cast Iron Art. We are proud that the conference now reaches such a wide national audience that in 2009 it was named, and once again became, the National Conference on Cast Iron Art.

REGISTRATION

 

LOCATION

Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham AL

Sloss Furnaces is a 32-acre blast furnace plant where iron was made from 1882 to 1971 when the plant was closed due to obsolescence. Reopened in 1983 as a museum and national historic landmark, Sloss sponsors an active arts program that focuses on cast and formed metal sculpture. The metal arts program is rooted in Birmingham’s historic ties to the iron and steel industry. For its first hundred years, Birmingham was a foundry town, the South’s foremost industrial center, and the world’s largest producer of cast iron pipe. So no form of art is more suited for creation in Birmingham than cast iron art. And nowhere in Birmingham is it more appropriate than Sloss, where for ninety years men made iron.

 

Lodging and Transportation

Hotels

There are a number of motels in the same general area that are convenient to Sloss. Please make your own reservations.

Birmingham Garden Inn & Suites (formerly Park Inn)

7901 Crestwood Blvd

205/951-0700             

Comfort Inn and Suites  

4965 Montevallo Road

205/957-0084

Holiday Inn Express              

808 Old Grants Mill Road     

205/957-0555

A shuttle bus will run between Sloss and the Birmingham Garden Inn & Suites

 

Camping at Sloss

$10 per person

Camping is permitted on the site, although the facilities are primitive—no electrical hookups, no showers. Bathrooms on site do have wash basins.  Also, first-time campers should know that Sloss is bordered on all sides by active railroads and a main railroad crossing, so it’s quite noisy. Camping space is limited, so you must pre-register. NO PETS ALLOWED, EVEN IF THEY STAY IN THE TRUCK, CAR, VAN, etc.

 

PROGRAM

STUDENT CUPOLA/CUPOLETTE CONTEST

Requirements:

1. Only one entry per school

2. Furnaces that have run at previous conferences are not allowed.

3. Furnaces must be built by students.

4. Inside diameter must be 10 inches, nothing more, nothing less.  Dimensions

    will be measured; furnaces that do not meet the guidelines will be disqualified. 

5. Furnaces may be cupolas or cupolettes, intermittent or continuous

6. A team must have a faculty sponsor and at least three crew members. There is no
    maximum.

7. Teams are responsible for all supplies and equipment (including charging buckets or

     bags) except iron, coke, and propane, which will be provided by Sloss.

8. All electrical needs are limited to 110 outlets

Student Mold Competition

To test your mold making know how we are bringing back the student mold competition.  Open to undergraduate students, the challenge is to cast a standard teacup sitting on its saucer, with a spoon in the teacup, all cast together to form one piece.

 

The Rules

 

Open to undergraduate students only.

The mold should be made by each student alone with no help from instructors, fellow students, friends, etc.  All the work and knowledge should be your own.

The mold should be taken directly from the teacup/saucer/spoon and not broken in the process.  Your pattern should be brought with you to Sloss as proof.

Only parted sand molds are accepted, no wax melt out allowed.

Casting will be judged on the quality of the casting.

 

IRON POURS

All conferees are invited to bring a mold to be poured, regardless of whether they participate in the actual pour. Iron pours will be held each day, in the afternoon and/or evening, for molds made in the conference workshops and for molds brought to the site. All conferees must pay for their metal.

Call for Furnaces: If you or your institution is interested in bringing a furnace to the conference you must register with the Furnace Coordinator, Julie Ward at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or Remy Hanemann  at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Deadline for registration is February 1, 2011.

WORKSHOPS

All workshop molds will be cast during the conference

Parted Mold Workshop. Participants must arrive with a completed pattern. The fee includes a maximum of 100 lbs iron and 300 lbs sand. Participants are restricted to one mold, which should require no more than three parts. $150

Wax Meltout Workshop. Participants must arrive with a wax pattern no heavier than 10 lbs. The pattern must fit within a cubic foot. The fee includes a maximum of 100 lbs iron and 300 lbs sand.  $160

Ceramic Shell Workshop. Participants must arrive with a completed wax pattern that weighs a maximum of 7 lbs. $150

Large Mold Workshop.  To participate in the large mold workshop, you must have experience in making large molds and submit a project proposal. Iron weight may range from 200 lbs to 600 lbs. Only one mold each 600 lbs. $150 + materials.  Submit project proposals to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Workshop Schedule

Large Mold (Monday- Friday, 10 am – 4 pm)

Ceramic Shell (Tuesday -Friday, 10 am – 4 pm)

Wax Meltout, Bonded Sand (Tuesday – Friday, 10 am – 4 pm)

Parted Molds, Bonded Sand (Wednesday – Friday, 10 am – 4 pm)

 

Juried Exhibitions

Curated by Leila Hamdan, National Ornamental Metal Museum. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information

An Exhibition of Emerging Cast Iron Artists

This is a juried exhibition for students registered for the conference. Students may submit up to three images.

Pieces must be delivered to Sloss no later than noon, Wednesday, 13, and picked up no later than noon on Saturday, April 16.

The National Cast Iron Art Exhibition

This is a juried exhibition for professional artists registered for the conference. Each participant may submit up to three images.