March 3, 2014
Mesalands Community College will have their 16th Annual Iron Pour on March 9-15, 2014, from 9 am-9 pm. Approximately 40 students from across the nation will be participating in this year’s event. During this one-week course, students create sculptures and translate them into cast iron pieces of art at the Mesalands foundry. The College has scheduled various activities throughout the week, to celebrate this exciting event.
“The Mesalands Annual Iron Pour is a week-long event where artists come together to pour molten iron into individual works of art,” said Robert Moreau, Art Faculty at Mesalands Community College. “This event is not only a great opportunity for the artists involved, but is also a great opportunity for the local community of Tucumcari and Quay County to come and be a part of the art-making process and be a part of our community college.”
On Tuesday, March 11 there will be a “Feeding the Starving Artists” Potluck Dinner at 5:30 pm in the foundry located in Building D. During this event, community members are invited to bring a dish and have dinner with the artists. A slideshow of artists’ work will follow the dinner
On Wednesday, March 12 there will be an Art Show at the Mesalands Library starting at 6:30 pm. African masks created in 1977-1979, made out of leopard skin and Reese’s monkey hair, used in different tribal ceremonies will be on display. Also included in this collection, is a particularly rare antelope mask, with Islamic decorations. Sculptures created by Mesalands students during prior iron pours, will also be on display during the Art Show, and throughout the week.
On Thursday, March 13 will be Movie Night at the Odeon Theater at 7:00 pm. The movie that will be showing is ‘3 Days to Kill.’ Free admission to Mesalands students with a student ID.
Last but not least, the opening ceremony for the actual pouring of the cast iron will begin at11:30 am on Friday, March 14 and the pour will follow.
“This Iron Pour has welded together a community both from our local citizens and from our students who come year after year because they feel a part of Mesalands, the iron pour experience, and the community,” said D’Jean Jawrunner, Art Faculty at Mesalands Community College and the creator of the College’s Iron Pour. “Without the local support of our community, providing sand, bringing food, meeting our students and being warm and friendly, there would not be the community spirit and the desire to come back year after year.”
Check out the live feed of our Iron Pour: