Structured As Such: Architecture of Oppression
The opening reception featured storyteller Carolyn Evans and musician/steel performer Wilton DuBois. Questions about the exhibition can be sent to contact@liberty-arts.org.
Bull City Sculpture Show
Liberty Arts helped promote the Bull City Sculpture Show. Visit bullcitysculptureshow.org for details on that show.
For the current schedule of classes and exhibitions, see the Calendar page, and check Events for additional listings.
A sculpture studio and foundry like this thrives on the energy of collaboration, offering a shared space where artists and curious visitors can watch molten bronze and aluminum transform from raw material into finished work. The atmosphere is hands-on and welcoming, with the slow, deliberate pace of metal casting sitting alongside faster techniques like plasma cutting, welding, and grinding. Visitors often find themselves lingering to observe a pour, to feel the heat radiating from the crucible, or to simply enjoy the smell of coal and iron that lingers in the air long after the work is done.
Beyond the forge itself, the organization acts as a creative incubator, supporting working artists through residencies, internships, and collaborative projects that encourage the sharing of skills across disciplines. Classes and workshops cover a wide range of media, from ceramics and clay to wood, glass, and mixed-media sculpture, allowing participants to experiment with new processes in a supportive environment. Team-building sessions and guided tours invite community groups to step inside the working studio, making the arts more accessible and demystifying the labor behind every public monument or gallery piece.
The studio also serves as a cultural anchor in Durham, organizing exhibitions, gallery shows, and special events that bring together a diverse community of makers, students, and art lovers. Programs are designed to educate, entertain, and enrich, with public receptions, artist talks, and open studio afternoons that foster conversation about contemporary sculpture and its role in civic life. Through commissions and partnerships with local organizations, the foundry helps shape the visual identity of the city, ensuring that the traditions of cast metalwork remain a vibrant, living part of the regional creative landscape.