50th Anniversary of the Annual GSU Sculpture Iron Pour

This year marks a significant anniversary in our school’s history: the 50th anniversary of the Annual Iron Pour on December 7, 2024. In honor of this milestone, the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design will host a sculpture alumni exhibition in the Welch School Galleries, a silent art auction, and acknowledge the legacy of George Beasley’s mentorship with an artist talk in Kopleff Recital Hall. Alumni and friends plan to travel across the country to celebrate the big week of events culminating in a night of music, artwork, and molten iron. 

Under the direction of Professor George Beasley, the Sculpture Program at Georgia State University hosted its first annual iron pour in downtown Atlanta in 1972. The program has continuously featured iron casting as a core component of its curriculum since the 1970s. The Georgia State Annual Iron Pour is the nation’s second oldest public iron pour, drawing notable artists, participants, and guests to this annual event. 

The weekend will kick off on Friday, December 6, with a reception in our Welch School Galleries for the 50th Anniversary Sculpture Alumni exhibition curated by artist Poppy Woodeson (5:00-8:00pm at 10 Peachtree Center Ave). Featuring work by sculpture alumni through the decades, the exhibition will present a dynamic range of techniques, media, and content. In addition to exploring the technical mastery of iron casting, the selected works will reflect the lasting impact of studying sculpture at GSU and the creative legacy formed in our Edgewood Studio. The tone of the show is celebratory, inviting artists to reflect on their time in Atlanta’s vibrant sculpture community. This event honors the tradition of iron casting while looking forward to the future of the craft.

To accompany the work in the galleries, our faculty published a live map of sculptures in the metro Atlanta area by faculty and alumni who have made a mark on our program. We encourage friends who may be in town for the events to use the digital map for a guided tour of Georgia State public works that have become iconic monuments in the city.

Saturday afternoon, December 7, at 12pm, in Florence Kopleff Recital Hall (33 Gilmer St), we are pleased to host iron master and GSU Regent’s Professor Emeritus George Beasley for an artist talk followed by a Q&A and open mic discussion about his legacy in the scene globally. Beasley was vital in the foundation and growth of our sculpture program, mentoring and influencing so many artists in the regional, national, and international iron scene, many of whom will be coming back for the occasion. This talk will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. 

Later that evening, we will kick off the big event at the Edgewood Sculpture Building (246 Edgewood Ave SE). The Annual Iron Pour is a dazzling and festive display of molten iron demonstrations. A crew of students, faculty, and alumni will work on a pour team under the direction of George Beasley and Assistant Professor Emily Baker, signifying the history and future of our program. Scratch block creation begins at 3:00pm with hot metal beginning at 5:30pm. Join us for mulled wine, food trucks, a DJ, and the hottest show in Atlanta, celebrating its 50th anniversary!

The Sculpture program at Georgia State University offers an adaptive educational model conversant with the fluid landscape of contemporary art production. With nine accredited MFA programs, the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design fosters excellence through experimentation, cross-disciplinary pursuits, and critical analyses of existing ideas about art, art teaching, and art history.

The Sculpture building in downtown Atlanta houses large, open-concept studio spaces with digital fabrication facilities, metal fabrication, woodshop, and mold making. Students expand upon traditional techniques and incorporate innovative methods to discover the power of their voice through material and technique. Applications for fall 2025 are due February 1.