Everyone invited to create art at Community Aluminum Pour

The Putnam County and DePauw University communities are invited to join in a unique event, a Community Aluminum Pour, on Friday, Oct. 2.

Presented by the department of art and art history at DePauw, the event -- which runs from 1-10 p.m. -- will be led by the Sculpture Trails Traveling Foundry.

People of all ages and experience levels are invited to come create an original piece of art, cast from 100 percent recycled aluminum.

Sculpture Trails, a non-profit organization based in Solsberry in Greene County, is dedicated to giving communities access to first-hand experiences with art in natural settings.

The organization hosts artists of all skill levels and ages on-site and in communities across the country, allowing direct experience the historic art of metal casting in a natural setting.

From now Thursday, Sept. 24 open carving sessions will be conducted in the Richard E. Peeler Art Center from 4-8 p.m. each day.

Participants will have an opportunity to carve their own original sculptural design into a sand block. DePauw advanced sculpture students will be present to assist with the design and carving process.

Those who complete their sand blocks can then return on Oct. 2 as 100 percent recycled aluminum is melted and poured into sand blocks carved by community members, creating finished art tiles. The aluminum pour will take place in the back courtyard of Peeler Art Center. Carving tiles are limited to the first 200 participants.

Before the work with the aluminum begins on Oct. 2, Sculpture Trails founder Gerry Masse will present an open discussion on environmentally and socially sensitive art practices titled "Art, Matter, and Art that Matters: Working in the Non-Profit Art Sector." It is set for 11:30 a.m. in room 103 of the Peeler Center.

All events are free and open to the public.

The programs are presented with support from the The Douglas I. and Ann U. Smith Endowed Fund for Ethics at the Prindle Institute and the Carol Bowers Norris Endowed Artists/Speakers Series Fund.