The University of Southern Mississippi’s Art and Design Program will host the 2025 Iron Pour on Saturday, Nov. 22, at the 3D Arts Building on the Hattiesburg campus, located at 2905 W. Fourth St. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a hot metal pour scheduled for 2 p.m.
Virginia Elliot and Ian Skinner of Sloss Metal Arts and Furnace in Birmingham, Ala., will serve as visiting artists for this biennial running of the large iron cupola at Southern Miss—one of the largest university-run cupolas in the country. The last furnace running was held in 2023, drawing students, faculty and artists from institutions including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Metal Institute in Tennessee, as well as other universities across the Southeast.
In addition to helping operate the furnace on Nov. 22, Elliot and Skinner will mentor students, give a free public lecture, and assist in teaching and directing students and guests in the construction of large molds. The lecture is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the 3D Arts Building and is supported by Partners for the Arts and the Nan and Ben Stevens Art and Music Endowment.
Scratch block sales to the public will open at 9 a.m. and continue until 1 p.m. on Nov. 22. Each block is available for $20, and attendees are invited to purchase one to create a small relief sculpture that will be cast in iron during the event.
The 2025 Iron Pour is free and open to the public, made possible through generous support from Partners for the Arts. Click here for more information.