Sloss Metal Arts

Sloss Metal Arts is a nationally-recognized arts program at Sloss Furnaces which promote iron-casting and related arts. It was created with funding from a 1977 bond issue which also provided the means to preserve the furnace site as a public museum.

Sloss Metal Arts hosts open studios and casting services, workshops and classes, houses resident artists and apprentices, and offers outreach demonstrations at schools, museums and community festivals. Artworks and souvenir castings are sold at the furnace gift shop and various art festivals. The program also accepts commissions for public art installations. The program's primary fund-raiser is the annual Stokin' the Fire BBQ Festival, held in August.

The Metal Arts program uses the casting shed at Sloss Furnace No. 1 for its foundry and fabrication shop, equipped with four coke-fired cupolas capable of delivering up to 1,000 pounds of molten iron per tap. Gas furnaces are in use for melting bronze and aluminum and kilns and other equipment are available for ceramic and bonded sand mould production and miscellaneous fabrication and woodworking. Artists in residence also use the Pyrometer House, Bathhouse, and a storage building as studio space.

In December 2011 the program staff were terminated as the Sloss Furnace Foundation's board sought to restructure the program with guest artists rather than full-time resident workers.

References

• Alabama Public Television (2009) Sloss: Industry to Art
• Simpson-Templin, Janet (December 22, 2011) "The future of metal arts at Sloss Furnace". Weld

External links

• Metal Arts at slossfurnaces.com
• Sloss Metal Arts film at blip.tv