National Casting Center Foundry: Real Art vs. Modern Art

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A melting pot of experimental activity The National Casting
Center within the School of Art and Design at Alfred University comprises two comprehensive state of the art facilities one specializing in Glass Casting and the other in Metal Casting. Courses are taught extensively in both areas from
sophomore through to Graduate Level. As a part of the Sculpture Dimensional Studies Division and curriculum, students can overlap disciplines and techniques developing skills from small scale to large-scale sculpture. Rich in history,
both glass and foundry arts date back over 5000 years. Students learn ancient techniques alongside environmental practices and current digital processes and
are strongly encouraged to push the practice into new territories. Special topics course in metal and glass are taught to explore hands on how the two disciplines can interact.

The 7000 square foot foundry houses a large wax working room, patina area, walk in sand blasting and an
extensive casting floor with a fully electronic overhead bridge crane. Furnaces range from a high temp induction furnace for stainless and Corten steel, a 1000 pound coke fired iron cupola, charcoal fired ancient furnace as well as two gas fired bronze and aluminum crucible furnaces and centrifugal casting. Molding processes taught are lost wax, zircon, ceramic shell, green sand, clay, resin bonded sand and alternative materials. Future plans include adding a vegetable oil furnace to the Environmental Foundry. The brand new Glass Casting Facility includes heat recovery glory holes with a full range of kilns, a new CNC mold ramming press, and appropriate finishing tools.

Students studying at the National Casting Center are not only able to manifest their visions in materials and unparalleled technologies, they are encouraged to experiment with technique and are expected to gain experience in running the
facilities which provides them with valuable working skills upon graduation.
Many students graduating through the National Casting Center are now in leadership positions as teachers, employed in some of the top fine art foundries and glass centers nationwide or have successfully set up their own studios.

National Casting Center Foundry

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Saturday, January 4, 2014

Real Art vs. Modern Art

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