Alfred University sculpture contingent visits Pittsburgh for Rivers of Steel Intercollegiate Iron Pour
Alfred University Professor of Sculpture Coral Lambert joined a contingent of Alfred University students and alumni in Pittsburgh, PA for the first Intercollegiate Iron Pour, hosted by Rivers of Steel, an organization that showcases the artistry and innovation of southwestern Pennsylvania’s industrial and cultural heritage.
The event was held at Blast Furnace #6, located in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Carrie, one of the storied sites of Pittsburgh’s industrial history. In addition to Alfred University, Rivers of Steel also drew artists from Carnegie Mellon University, Shepherd University, SUNY Cortland, Seton Hill, Chicago Art Institute, and New York University.
The celebration of fire and metal included participants pouring their own iron creations. As a celebration of the artistic potential of iron and fire, the groups also forged networks of relationships within the metal arts community.
Lambert, who directs Alfred University’s National Casting Center, described the event as “brilliant,” adding the Carrie site “is a sacred site, almost like Stonehenge. The grounds we walked on have this spirit of the industrial past, and that is a really rich thing for artists.”
Lambert has been visiting Pittsburgh since 2017, and her own work, “Gushers,” was cast on site and is exhibited in the Iron Garden of the landmark site.