Posted by Leah on Jan 30, 2010 in
Events We have some good news for those of you following us from the Eastern North Carolina area!
Thanks to the inclement weather, Emerge Gallery’s deadline for Tiny Art Show submissions has been extended! You can now stop by to drop off submissions between 5 and 8 pm on Monday, February 1, as well as from 10 am to 6 pm the following day. The show opens Friday, February 5 with a preview and Pancake Supper on February 4.
Emerge will also be a part of Uptown Greenville’s Valentine’s Art Walk, which will take place on Friday, February 5 from 6 PM to 9 PM at an assortment of galleries, including Emerge, the Tipsy Teapot, Winslow’s Tavern, and more! So have a night out with your sweetheart or look for that special gift to give someone you love this Valentine’s Day.
Happy Art-ing!
Tags: call for entries, Events, exhibitions, holidays, north carolina, valentines
Posted by mandarific on Nov 9, 2009 in
Events 
A reaction mold spouting flames.
It has been a wild ride these past few days, from helping my fiancé with his mold preparation to waking up at sunrise to help load and unload the kiln, Saturday brought the return of East Carolina University’s annual Halloween Iron Pour.
Because of the high temperatures required to melt the iron and the emissions caused from the process, the creation of iron castings is limited to once per semester at ECU, and is a big spectacle for all those who come to watch, and all those involved. Before the pour can even begin, students and visiting artists must break down old bathtubs, sinks, and other donated scrap iron into pieces small enough to melt in the furnace – 50 pounds at a time. Once the furnace is heated to over 2500 degrees they can begin to “charge” it – first with coke, a sort of carbon “supercharcoal,” and then with the 50 pound charges of iron. Once the furnace is ready to go, the fun begins – as the sun sets over Greenville the molten metal glows brightly as it’s poured into the molds, including some that have been rigged with wood to create sparks for a spectacular fireworks effect.
Pour Team Sign-Up Board
Every time the furnace is “full” of iron that is melted and ready to go, shouts go out for the pour team as students decked out in leather protective gear – often painted with a stencil or symbol to identify themselves – make their way to the furnace to collect the iron to be put in the molds. Each job is equally as important to the team in order for the process to go as smoothly and safely as possible.
The furnace is first tapped as a spike is hammered into the blocked tap hole to let the liquid metal flow freely out. Once the ladle is full, a second person jams a wad of clay known as a bot that will soon harden to keep the iron from continuing to spew out. The skimmer then cleans any excess debris off of the top of the metal and the ladle is carried off by a two-man team (sometimes more!) to be poured into the molds. As one person is aiming it to pour, the other donks – helping to keep it steady while the metal is being tipped out into the mold. And just in case it spills out anywhere else or a mold cracks, someone stands by to shovel sand on top of the metal so that it doesn’t pose a danger to the pour team – or anyone else nearby.
This was my third time attending an ECU iron pour, and I was fortunate enough this year to participate by helping out on shovel for a short period of time, and it was exciting to be right up close in the action – the entire process could be considered dangerous but is executed so perfectly by the ECU students, making the casting process itself as much of an art as the finished pieces. Special thanks to graduate student Austin Sheppard for clearing up a few facts for this post!
For more photos, check out the Gallery from this event.
Tags: casting, Events, iron, north carolina, sculpture
Posted by mandarific on Nov 6, 2009 in
Events I have been very busy lately as we move towards autumn, holiday season, and of course – the end of the semester for the local students. Hopefully I will be able to share some of my activities with you all as weeks go on, but if you’re in the area of Greenville, North Carolina and want to check out some of the events I may be attending – this could be a great opportunity for you to see some emerging artists, local work, and maybe some cool explosions. :)
- The East Carolina University Sculpture Guild will be hosting their annual Halloween Iron Pour Saturday, November 6 at the Jenkins Art Building on campus. Sparks will fly and molten iron will flow! Expect things to kick off around 4 PM and carry on well into the evening – stop by just after dark to see the reaction molds go off for a spectacular show!
- Pitt County Community College is hosting it’s annual Down East Holiday Show at the Greenville Convention Center this weekend. Stop by between 10 AM and 7 PM on Saturday or 10 AM and 5 PM on Sunday to check out more than 100 exhibitors and vendors to get you ready for the holiday season. From gifts to garnishes, the exhibition will feature crafters, local businesses, local restaurants, Santa, and more! Admission is $6, free for children 10 and under – so bring the family!
-Emerge Gallery & Art Center will be hosting two student exhibitions November 6 – 29, featuring photographer Jessi Braxton in the Wooten Gallery and J. Travis Snyder’s Wood Design thesis in the Edwards Gallery. They are also accepting entries for the 2009 Handmade Holiday Sale and 2010 DownEast Sculpture Exhibition - so visit the Pitt County Arts Council website for more information on the call for entries.
- ECU Wood Design and Metals student Stefan Kelischek will be hosting his senior exhibition, “The Wooden CuAg Show,” at the Burroughs Welcome Gallery, with a reception to be held on Saturday, November 21 from 5 to 9 PM. Come check out his eye-catching designs at the gallery, then head on over to Winslow’s Tavern around 6 PM for drinks and music to follow.
- MFA candidate Ashley Pierce will be hosting her graduate exhibition, “Perishable Garniture,” at the Greenville Museum of Art December 1 – 10. Her unique work in illustration is a must see – check out a preview at her blog, then head on down to the reception on December 5, from 6 to 9 PM. The Greenville Museum of Art is located at 805 S. Evans St.
I hope to see some of you all at these events, and will try to be covering them as much as possible. Stay tuned over the next few days for photos of the Halloween Iron Pour – and keep on creating. :)
Tags: casting, exhibitions, holidays, illustration, north carolina, photography, sculpture, wood design
