Holiday Iron Pour Continues Annual Tradition December 13

Annual holiday iron pour and silent auction
2 p.m. Dec. 13
Edgewood Sculpture Studio, 184 Edgewood Ave. S.E., Atlanta
For information: E-mail George Beasley at gbeasley@gsu.edu.

Flowing easily from the ladle and splashing into the molds below, it’s easier to compare the orange liquid to water than to metal. But that’s exactly what it is, molten iron so hot the artists handling it are forced to suit up in tough leathers and protective headgear.

“It’s very scary-looking,” says George Beasley, a professor in Georgia State’s School of Art and Design. “But, you know, that’s part of the drama. It’s almost medieval.”

Every year, Georgia State sculpture students, faculty and alumni come together for the annual Holiday Iron Pour, a celebration of their craft and a chance for the uninitiated to take a peek at this very physical art form. For a small donation, anyone can make a scratch mold, and sculpture students will cast the molten iron to create take-home souvenirs.

“Usually, the children love it,” Beasley says. “Last year, we did 150 of those. So it’s children and their parents and then anybody who wants to. We prepare the sand mold in advance and so all you have to do is just carve into it. We have all the tools and equipment.”

The tradition started in the early ‘70s and is one of the longest-running annual iron pours in the United States. It owes its origins to a handful of students who were getting antsy as the winter holidays approached.

“My students were right at the end of the fall semester and started doing all these knick-knacks and Christmas presents and stuff, and I got really mad about that,” Beasley recalls with a laugh. “I said, ‘You’re supposed to be making sculptures. If you just wait until after the semester, I’ll run a special iron pour and you can do Christmas presents.’ And that became kind of like a party, and it grew and it grew and it grew.”

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Shakerag Arts & Craft Festival in Peachtree City Sept 20-22

It’s time for the 31st annual Shakerag Arts & Crafts Festival in Peachtree City. The Peachtree City Parks and Recreation Department festival begins Saturday, September 20 and continues through Sunday, September 21, and will be held at Shakerag Knoll located at 191 McIntosh Trail, Peachtree City, GA 30269. The hours on Saturday are from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking is free.

“This is one of the biggest shows yet,” says Ashley Alonso, event coordinator. The only types of vendors they are no longer accepting are food, jewelry, crochet and handbags. The vendor applications are available at www.ptcrecreation.org or they are available at The Peachtree City Parks and Recreation Administration building.

Shakerag Arts & Crafts Festival is known for its handmade arts, crafts, and food. We have a variety of vendors, from all over Georgia and the south, with unique items for sale including pottery, paintings, portraits, ceramics, floral designs, pet items, jewelry, candles, authors, etc. Alonso mentions, “This is a great time to shop for the holidays and find something unique and original for friends and family.”

The festival will go on rain or shine. For more information please contact Ashley Alonso at (770) 631-2542 or visit us on the web at www.ptcrecreation.org.

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Inaugural Savannah Craft Brew Fest on August 29-30

The Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) recently announced that Savannah will present the inaugural Savannah Craft Brew Fest on August 29-30, 2008 at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center.

The first ever Savannah Craft Brew Fest will feature the best of Georgia craft beers and food pairings on Friday, August 29 at 6 p.m. in the Ballroom at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center.

On Saturday, August 30, the Craft Brew Grand Tasting event will be held on the Esplanade of the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., followed by price fixed dinners from area restaurants featuring delicious beer and food pairings. There will be live, regional entertainment, local food vendors and souvenir items for sale.

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