Public Relations
http://w2.uky.edu/UKPR/
CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-1754 ext. 229, or
Ashleigh Reifenberger, (859) 257-3303 ext. 250
FOR RELEASE
Global Sculptor Helps Heat Up 15th Iron Pour
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 30, 2007) − This week the University of Kentucky
Sculpture Program and the SCRAP Student Sculpture Club host events celebrating the
metal arts program at the university. Internationally renowned sculptor and installation
artist George Beasley will be on hand to participate in many of the events, including a
free public lecture and the highlight of the week's activities – the 15th annual Iron Pour.
Programming showcasing UK's metal arts programs began Monday with mold
workshops. Throughout the week students, artists and the public will take part in iron
casting lectures, sculpture presentations and exhibits, the iron pour, and events
scheduled in conjunction with Beasley's residency.
Beasley's residency at UK includes his free public lecture as part of the UK
Department of Art Visiting Artists and Scholars Series, which brings internationallyknown artists to the university to lecture. Beasley's lecture, detailing his work and
followed by a question and answer session, is scheduled for noon Friday, Nov. 2, in
room 118 White Hall Classroom Building.
An opening reception that evening will kick-off an exhibition of iron sculpture that
will be on display in the Barnhart Gallery. This event is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 2, at the Barnhart, located in room 206 of Reynolds Building Number 1.
Beasley will also take part in UK's 15th annual Iron Pour, which depicts the most
dramatic phase of the iron casting process in art. The event attracts a national audience
of artists, students, and art enthusiasts alike, with past attendees coming from as far as
New Mexico to take part in the event. Many artists turn out for the event to finish pieces
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of their work. The iron pour will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at
the metal arts studio, located at Reynolds Building Number 2.
Art students from other disciplines and community residents can also take part in
the casting process by purchasing a scratch block for $10 to $15. Individuals can test
their talents by etching an image in the resin tablets, having graphite applied and taking
part in the iron pour. And as one waits for the masterpiece to completely cool, the
sculpture exhibition at the Barnhart Gallery will be available to peruse.
Beasley is internationally known for his work on site-specific installations and
visual performances that allow the viewer to experience the “dance” brought alive in iron
making through casting bronze and iron sculptures. He draws his inspiration for his
sculptures and drawings through research into Celtic influences on European history,
practice and foundry.
A graduate of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Beasley is the Regents Professor
of Sculpture at Georgia State University's School of Art and Design. He splits his time
between two continents, with half of his time spent in Atlanta and the rest in northeast
Scotland where he serves on the Scottish Sculpture Workshop Board of Directors.
For more information on Beasley’s free public lecture for the Visiting Artists and
Scholars Series, contact the UK Department of Art at (859) 257-8151. To find out more
about other festivities surrounding UK's 15th Iron Pour, contact Garry Bibbs, associate
professor and head of UK Sculpture, by phone at (859) 257-3719 or via e-mail
Garry.Bibb@uky.edu.
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In striving to become a Top 20 public research institution, the University of Kentucky is a catalyst for a
new Commonwealth – a Kentucky that is healthier, better educated, and positioned to compete in a
global and changing economy. For more information about UK’s efforts to become a Top 20 university,
please go to http://www.uky.edu/OPBPA/Top20.html.