USM Art and Design’s Annual Iron Pour Set for Nov. 11

Wed, 11/08/2023 - 02:06pm | By: Caroline Neese

The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Art and Design Program presents its annual Iron Pour: DK II Invitational at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11 at the 3D Arts Building on the Hattiesburg campus. Admission is free and open to the public.

The event will include visiting artists James Davis and Eric Fuertes with special guest Donnie Keen as they run the department’s big furnace, DK II, named after its sister furnace from Keen Foundry.

Event organizer, Jennifer Torres, sculpture professor and area head in the School of Performing and Visual Arts, is excited to showcase the program and the techniques of iron pouring.

“We are so excited to have this opportunity to show a broader audience the impressive work that the program has been doing and bring them behind the scenes of our process,” said Torres.

Visiting artist Eric Fuertes is currently the Assistant Dean of Operations for Continuing Studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. He graduated with an MFA in Sculpture at Northern Illinois University and did his undergraduate work at Texas A&M in Corpus Christi. He has been pouring iron for over a decade and worked professionally at Keen Foundry in the mid-2000s. He will be attending the event alongside a couple of his students who will help to make molds and pour iron.

Visiting artist and Southern Miss Alumnus James Davis returns to USM, having earned his BFA in 2003. Davis went on to get his MFA from East Carolina University. He later served as the USM studio technician for five years and is currently employed by the University of West Georgia as their studio technician. He has also worked for the Hattiesburg Alliance Public Art Alliance not only as an artist but also as an installation specialist and exhibition juror.

“I have worked very closely with James alongside former professor Skip Van Houten in running the various furnaces at USM, so this event presents a welcomed reunion for me personally,” said Torres.

Donnie Keen, guest pour master, ran Keen Foundry for decades. The USM furnace is modeled after the furnace at his foundry. He has been a long-time supporter of the sculpture program at USM and has supported iron pouring in many academic settings across the U.S. His generous contributions include equipment, valuable time, and essential materials for the USM program.

“We are thrilled to have such distinguished guest artists, including special guest Donnie Keen, attend this landmark event,” said Torres. “This is an especially exciting pour as this marks the first time in over ten years that we will fire up the large cupola/big furnace,” said Torres.

The burn-in starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, and the furnace will run all day.

If you want to participate, scratch blocks will cost $15-$20 and will be available to purchase on the day of the pour with sales starting at 9:00 a.m. Tools will be available for making your blocks on-site. You must email if you are bringing or making a mold.