Imagine the scene: it’s December the 1st in Durham, NC – an un-seasonally warm day with temperatures rising into the mid sixties.  The city is celebrating its third annual Holiday Fun Festival in Durham Central Park. The place is teeming with families; kids of all ages are running about, most in shorts and shirt sleeves enjoying the magic wonderland that’s appeared overnight.  There is a snow- slide down the gentle slope in the park and the “snow” sprayer amuses the kids by intermittently letting out large bursts of the white stuff at them. There are horse rides, Santa is waving from a choo-choo train that invites for rides around the park; there are red and green balloons everywhere; fun booths like Durham’s Happy Mess going wild with glitter –  much to the delight of Wool E. Bull who stops by; and Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is blaring from the loudspeakers….

In the Liberty Arts Foundry, which is located in the beautiful George Watts Pavilion right there in Durham Central Park, 7 of us don our safety gear: big red safety helmets with fine mesh covering our faces, leather jackets, leather aprons, leather chaps over sturdy shoes and very thick, long leather gloves.

We have been melting bronze in the furnace since 9:30 am and at 1:30 pm the bronze has reached pouring temperature: 2100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The person watching the furnace since 9:30 has bright pink cheeks. She’s been working really close to the furnace checking that all is well and planning when to add the next ingot of bronze. She’s had to make sure to keep up her fluids to counteract being constantly grilled by the intense heat.

What happens next is art and a beautiful exercise in teamwork.

For the last 2 weeks all 7 of us have been working on creating our sand molds. We have mixed sand with resin, molded it around shapes we want to sculpt, have engraved the molds, have dug and drilled into the molds and have finally assembled them ready to accept the hot metal.

What looks like large shapeless boxes made of sand are all lined up ready to transform the bronze into a variety of sculptures.

The furnace is opened and the temperature probe reads 2100 degrees.

Two of us step up and with the help of a crane and a large metal clamp pull the yellow hot crucible out of the furnace.  The temperature is intense- everything in instantly hot.  We are drenched in sweat before even moving. Those of us closest hold our heads tilted back slightly to alleviate the heat off the face. It easily burns up nostril and eyebrow hair.  We slowly bring the crucible to its next resting place – a large patch of sand on the ground next to the furnace into a metal contraption that will allow two people to pick it up and carry it to the molds.

But first the skin has to be taken off the top of the liquid bronze. The skimmer steps up and starts skimming debris and impure parts that have risen to the top of the hot metal.  The yellow/orange liquid and parts are so hot the skimmer thinks her thick leather gloves are going to melt right down to her hands. She does this again and again, as fast, but safely as she can. Impurities can spoil a whole sculpture and affect the way the metal pours. Finally she is satisfied.

Two of us pick up the crucible again and with the weight being supported by the crane slowly walk towards the molds. Not a drop must spill. This hot liquid metal would bust the concrete on impact and is dangerous to everyone involved.  Reaching the first sand mold the two of us must maneuver the crucible to the correct height and angle so when tilted the liquid gushes directly into the designed pour hole, which is only as large as the bottom of a small paper cup. One of us is the pourer, who is in charge.  He calls out where to move, and whether more or less height is needed.  The other, called the donkey, stabilizes the crucible while watching and listening intently to what the other does. These two must work like one at all times.

Mold after mold gets filled; there are flames, sparks, gushes of liquid metal.

One if us stands close by with a shovel and sand. If too much flame occurs or too much liquid bronze escapes, he dulls the flames and heat with sand.  The person handling the crane listens and follows the directions of the pourer, but is also anticipating what will happen next. All are very intent on the matter at hand.

Once all the molds are poured, the crucible is slowly returned to its place on the sand, then back to the furnace.

As the crucible is lowered into the furnace flames erupt all around it and both the pourer and the donkey must quickly (very quickly) release the mechanism that is holding the crucible before burning our hands. Then the furnace cover is closed and the first pour is over.  The process will be repeated until all the molds have been filled.

All of us are elated and congratulating each other.  This is an exercise of immense concentration and trust in each other.

And in a few minutes we’ll be able to crack open the molds and get a first look at our sculptures.