collaborations with local colleges & Universities

Liberty Arts regularly partners with North Carolina-based colleges and universities to create opportunities for continued education in metal arts, glass blowing, and ceramics.

iron pour student teams

Iron Pour student pour teams engage in an unparalleled hands-on experience: before leaving the event, each student experiences and learns the full casting process, from mold making to furnace operations to pouring molten iron. They develop skills in team building, problem solving, and event organization. These students are an integral part of our annual Iron Pour.

University of North Carolina - Greensboro

Students of UNC-G’s School of Art have participated in Liberty Arts’ Annual Iron Pour since 2019. Led in the past by professor Kevin Vanek, teams of up to 15 students collaborate with Liberty Arts Pour Masters to operate furnaces on the Pour Floor each November.

Additionally, students prepare scratch blocks and creative molds of their own that they cast during the Iron Pour, building upon their developing skillset.

UNC-G student work is also on display in the Iron Pour exhibition tent, where thousands of attendees can admire and purchase their work.

Durham Technical Community College

Students of DTCC’s Sculpture classes have participated in the Iron Pour over the last few years.

Previously led by instructor Ben Locke, DTCC’s art department professors have regularly collaborated with Liberty Arts to bring sculpture students opportunities to participate on a pour team, create scratch blocks, or exhibit work in their Iron Pour’s Night Gallery.

As Liberty Arts’ Annual Iron Pour continues to grow, we’ve expanded our reach to Brevard College, North Carolina Central University, and other North Carolina based non-profit arts organizations that serve students.

metalworking workshop series

College and university students that take part in a Liberty Arts Metalworking Workshop Series spend several weeks learning metalworking skills from a Liberty Arts Instructor. Students will create a project of their own design using the skills developed in the workshop series.

In the most recent collaboration, students from North Carolina Central University learned welding and plasma cutting from Michael Waller, Liberty Arts Vice President of the Board and artist.

IRON HEROES is a casting program designed by Liberty artist Tripp Jarvis to engage veterans and youth from traditionally underserved communities. The program provides access to creative outlets and expression through hands-on metal casting.

Based around the theme of "The Hero's Journey," from the work of Joseph Campbell, the goal of this program is to help students who are new to sculpture explore the creative territory of their imaginations and to call forth the hero that lies hidden in their daily lives.

Over the course of 8 weeks, these artists made a journey that began with a simple drawing. Their path continued as they translated their drawings into 3D clay sculptures and created molds of those pieces. The journey culminated with our annual iron pour where the artists poured fiery molten iron into their molds, creating the pieces you see in this exhibit.

We are thrilled to celebrate their art and courageous expression.

We also want to thank the donors without whose support programs like Iron Heroes would not be possible.