15 sponsors and a whole slew of awesome artists and community members later WE DID IT!!! Our new Cupola "Rosie" tapped her first iron on the evening of August 15th and poured 700+ lbs for us all to behold and take home!

Thanks to everyone for helping make Portland's First Annual Iron Pour a huge success! Thanks to these efforts we can be sure to see more awesome foundry workshops and pour demonstrations happening in Portland in the coming months!

We are already in the early stages of organizing Portland's Second Annual Iron Pour next Fall and will be posting more updates as information becomes available! Rumors of Ice Molds and Thermite melts have been tossed around as well as the idea of a nightime event! Stay tuned for more...

Here are some links covering the event-

http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/blogs/culturephile-portland-arts/art-event-081709/

here are Joe Wirtheim's pics on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe-seppi/sets/72157622059808680/

and Brendan Cohara's pics

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendancohara/sets/72157621981373119/

here are some video links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8mGUsXZJec&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCWtK_wuZ2c

and here is Rob Wilcox Promo for the event

http://portlandorusnow.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-15-iron-pour.html

I want to extend an especially huge thanks to our sponsors:

The Oregon Arts Commission
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Vancouver Iron and Steel
Bridgetown Cores
Harbison Walker Refractories
Willamette Graystone
Portland State University
Mt. Hood Community College
United Western Supply
Gallery Homeland
La Grande Industrial Supply
Silverton Foundry
Oliver Ortiz

***and especially***

Tool Shed PDX http://www.toolshedpdx.org

Guest Artist Dan Matheson (CHICAGO...pictured above)
and Bridgetown Cores Owner Beth Knipple

The Tool Shed will be hosting many more foundry workshops in the coming months including Bronze and Aluminum casting as well as many more exiting fire related events! Without the participation and resources these folks brought to the plate without question or compromise none of this would have been possible! Go to their website for more info on coming events.

And last but not least thanks to all the participants and volunteers for making this dream a reality for us all! You each have my deepest appreciation and respect... you know who you are...

all my love,

Ben

Thank you Portland.

Portland Iron is proud to present its first ever community Iron Pour Demonstration, providing Portlanders access to and awareness of the art of iron casting. Organized by Ben Stagl and Caitlin Moore the pour will also include the expertise of visiting artist and veteran iron caster Dan Matheson.

The Portland Iron pour is modeled on an art making tradition of "iron pours" currently being upheld at colleges, conferences, and artists' studios around the nation and the world. Many institutions have built this art making process into their curiculum, holding pours annually and sending teams of students to iron conferences like the biennial International Conference on Cast Iron to take part in lectures, workshops, and compete in furnace building and operation. It is an active, diverse community with a fascinating process that only a few in Portland have ever taken part in. The Portland Iron pour is an opportunity for people to witness this fantastic aspect or contemporary art making first hand.

Community Involvement begins with a series of pattern making workshops on Aug 10th, 12th, and 13th at Watershed PDX (5040 SE Milwaukie, Portland, OR 97202). On the day of the pour there will be blank molds or scratch plates that will be cast for spectators to personalize and take home with them. And those who come to watch the pour will be treated to a crowd pleasing display of artistry and the awe-inspiring process of turning scrap metal into sculpture.