The annual Iron Pour coordinated by SUNY Oswego’s Department of Technology and Department of Art and Design will take place outdoors on the north side of Tyler Hall on Friday, Oct. 20, from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Students participating in the event will heat scrap iron until it is liquified, and then pour it into molds to create sculptures and artistic designs. The event allows students to apply their artistic skills to a medium they are likely unfamiliar with.

“It’s a unique way to explore a new [artistic] medium, explore your creativity, and see how far you can take it, and turn it into iron,” said Paul Cwikla, a bachelor of fine arts major involved in the Iron Pour. “Art and tech students are at the forefront, but there are plenty of opportunities to become involved and participate, or just watch the event.”

The event will allow viewers to witness the entire process, which has been perfected over the years.

“The general process is that we have a bunch of old scrap iron, and we melt it down, and then we have everybody’s molds set up in a line beforehand, and we just go down the line [filling the molds with molten iron],” said Caitlin Marx, another bachelor of fine arts major.

Although the event can be appreciated as a new artistic medium, its unfamiliar process and intriguing visuals captivate audiences with a wide variety of interests.

“It’s really cool because you do get to see the molten iron, and sometimes there’s a splash, or some sparks,” Marx said. “It’s really fun to watch.”

Sparking collaboration 

The event’s involved nature requires preparatory work, such as cutting the scrap metal into sizable pieces and creating the molds well in advance of the actual event date. The annual nature of the event has streamlined cooperation between the art and technology departments and has allowed each department to fine-tune each step of the process.

“We’ve done it so many times before, so it’s all so smooth,” Cwikla said of the process.

In addition to the hands-on opportunity of pouring liquified iron into molds, the process, including the preparation leading up to the event itself, instills a strong work ethic in those involved.

“During the day of the pour, it’s three or four hours, but for weeks before, it’s getting these things done,” Cwikla said.

The Iron Pour is free and open to the public and will feature music provided by the Digital Music Association, a student club from the Music Department.

The event hopes to draw in viewers who are not necessarily involved in the art or technology departments, but are interested in watching the Iron Pour and experiencing the spectacle, Cwikla said.

“It’s epic, there’s fire,” Cwikla said. “And if you don’t know exactly where it is, go to Tyler Hall and follow the music.”

-- Written by Ethan Semeraro of the Class of 2023