Background
Since the first International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art was put together by Wayne Potratz and Tom Gipe in 1988, at Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, AL., iron art conferences and college foundries have been proliferating across America and have spread over seas to England, Wales, Finland, Latvia and Poland. Regional Cast Iron Art Conferences have also been on the rise in the South, in the North, in the West and now in the East.
The Nor-easter Conference on iron art and foundry practice brings you to a new location, here in Buffalo NY. The history of Buffalo is wrapped up in the history of iron and steel making and has played a significant role in the development of our nation. Though we consider the boom of Industry to be at the turn of the 20th century, the practice of casting iron has been changing the livelihood of people since iron was first cast in the fourth Century B.C. and the practice of casting iron art has never been stronger. Today, we, as artists and creators, bend these traditions of Industry and innovation in ways suitable to our own aesthetic personal practice.
The Nor’easter conference will provide a forum to teach, learn and develop within this practice. It is our goal to provide the opportunity and support for discussions on aesthetics in which every conference goer may attend, participate and find inspiration. It is also our goal to promote a methodology of innovation, creativity and production to align our passion for cast iron art with 21st century concerns of sustainability.
