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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Ancient African Kingdom Captured in Emory Exhibit

The majesty and mystery of stone monuments from the ancient African kingdoms of Nubia have come to Emory University in an exhibition of photographs from famed New York Times photographer Chester Higgins.

"Nubian Dreams: Images of the Sudan," on view through Aug. 15 in the Schatten Gallery of Emory's Woodruff Library, documents the spiritual and architectural remains of the Nubian civilizations which rivaled those of the pharaohs for control of the Nile.

"In ancient times, Egypt ruled the world," Higgins says. "Then, Nubia ruled Egypt. Most people are pretty familiar with the monuments and personalities of ancient Egypt. What they don't know is that there are more than twice as many pyramids in Nubia as there are in Egypt.

"How those pyramids got there, and who and what history they represent, are details that only have begun to emerge during the last 50 years," Higgins says.

Higgins shot the photographs on several six-week field trips to ancient Nubia – today's southern Egypt and northern Sudan – between 2000 and 2006. A total of 45 images depict primarily pyramids, tombs and temples, most framed against the undulating warm, reddish-brown hues of African desert sands and clear, pale blue skies. A slide show of additional images, as well as a small number of Nubian artifacts such as baskets, beading and woodwork, are included in the exhibition.

"These images capture the spirit of place, concentrating on the remains of ancient sanctuaries dedicated to the belief in African Naturalism," Higgins says. "To me, these images capture the imagination of an ancient people. Here we see the human mind focused on issues of divinity and the sacred life. We see religious metaphors. We see what these ancient people constructed to their faith, believing in a God greater than themselves, with the power of life and death."

Nubian treasures also on display at Emory’s Carlos Museum

The Schatten Gallery showing of Higgins' photography compliments a nearby sister exhibition in Emory's Michael C. Carlos Museum. That exhibition, "Lost Kingdoms of the Nile: Nubian Treasures from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston," features some of the most significant archaeological treasures ever found in Africa. Visitors can gain insight into ancient Nubia by viewing more than 250 objects in gold, silver, bronze, ivory, stone and ceramic dating from 7000 B.C. to modern times.

Higgins will discuss his photography in a free workshop at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 10 in the Carlos Museum reception hall. For more information, contact Priyanka Sinha at 404-727-4291.

Higgins is one of the premier photographers of his generation. An Alabama native, he has been a staff photographer for the Times since 1975. His photographs have appeared in many publications and are featured in the PBS films "An American Photographer: Chester Higgins Jr." and "Brotherman."

He authored the photo collections "Black Woman," "Drums of Life," "Some Time Ago," "Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa," and "Elder Grace: The Nobility of Aging." His latest book is a 2005 memoir, "Echo of the Spirit: A Photographer's Journey."

Schatten Gallery is located on level three of Emory's Woodruff Library, 540 Asbury Circle, Emory. For more information, contact gallery director Julie Delliquanti at 404-727-0136. The exhibition runs through Aug. 15, and is free and open to the public.

The Carlos Museum exhibition "Lost Kingdoms of the Nile: Nubian Treasures from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston," is within walking distance of the Schatten exhibition at 571 South Kilgo Circle, Emory. For more information, contact Priyanka Sinha at 404-727-4291. The Carlos exhibition runs through Aug. 30. Admission is a $7 donation, free for museum members and Emory faculty, students and staff. Free docent-led tours of the museum depart from the rotunda on level one every Sunday at 2:30 p.m. during the Emory academic year. Call 404-727-4282 to confirm.

Office of Cultural Affairs Recognizes Its 8th Annual Emerging Artist Award Recipient

The City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs is pleased to announce the recipient of this year’s Emerging Artist Award. The 2008 Emerging Artist Award recognizes and rewards a rising professional artist of notable talent and demonstrated ability in Dance.

Atlanta artist, Molly Schneider Perez is recognized for her artistic vision, commitment, and leadership within the Atlanta arts community. In addition to the monetary award, the Office of Cultural Affairs provides the artist with performance space for a public presentation of her work. For the first time this year, the artist will receive a two week Artist Residency at the Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, Georgia. A brief award ceremony and performance will take place at The Beam, 750 Glenwood Avenue, on Thursday, June 26 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

"We are so pleased that Atlanta artist Molly Schneider Perez was selected to receive the 2008 award in the area of Dance. Her artistic vision as well as her commitment and contributions to the Atlanta dance community are commendable and deserving of this year’s Emerging Artist Award," states Camille Russell Love, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs.

Molly Schneider Perez is a dancer, educator, and choreographer. Perez joined CORE Performance Company in 2006 as an associate and became a full company member in 2007. Molly is the Dynamic X-Change Healing Arts Coordinator and Touring Coordinator for Several Dancers Core. This summer she will be teaching a three class series with Zoetic Dance Ensemble. She holds a B.F.A. from Ohio University’s Honors College and an M.F.A. from the University of Michigan as a Rackham Merit Fellow. Molly is an advocate for animals and works part time during the summer for ZOO Atlanta.