Workshops
The ICCCIA emphasizes technical and aesthetic developments within contemporary cast iron art through a range of mold-making workshops and practical demonstrations of technique. Mold-making and workshop opportunities are designed to share processes with sculptors unfamiliar with iron casting and expand the reach of contemporary cast iron art within the conference region.The process of mold making is not only key to the production of cast iron art it is also a creative element in its own right. Mold-making for sculptural iron casting can be broken down into two categories: performance and performance molds.

Performance Molds: Performance molds are often created based on their reactive qualities, which emphasizes the pyrotechnic qualities of iron performance projects. Reactive molds can incorporate a wide variety of materials including, wood, ice, paper, cardboard, dirt, to name some commonly used materials. As part of the performative process, the mold can be opened during casting, buried in the earth, incorporated into the landscape, ritually poured, rolled, dropped or otherwise manipulated to produce a process-induced performance as well as a process-affected final form.

Production Molds: Production molds encompass a wide variety of processes including: green sand, bonded sand, concrete sand, evaporative mold, and ceramic shell to name some of the most common. Currently new developments in digital forming processes are also transforming the production of patterns and molds for iron casting.

Rian Kerrane – Workshops
Associate Professor of Sculpture, UC- Denver – rian.kerrane/ay/ucdenver/dot/edu

Kristy Summers – Workshops
Visiting Assistant Professor, SIU – Carbondale–summersk/at/siu/dot/edu