Iron Light is the Western North Carolina Sculpture Center’s signature cast‑iron sculpture residency and public arts gathering, combining intensive artist collaboration with hands‑on community engagement. Held annually, Iron Light brings visiting and resident sculptors together on site for mold‑making, iron pour preparation, fabrication, and installation, culminating in a dramatic public iron pour where visitors can watch molten iron transformed into sculpture in real time. Community participation is central to the event, with opportunities for the public to engage alongside artists through demonstrations, iron tile and mold activities, and artist talks. The event atmosphere is celebratory and inclusive, featuring live music, food trucks, and family‑friendly programming, making Iron Light both an artistic spectacle and a social gathering that connects people to the creative process through fire, metal, and shared experience. The event is free and open to the public.

Event Schedule:
12pm-4pm: Community scratch block mold workshop - create your own cast iron artwork to be poured during the event ($75 per mold)
4pm: Live music and food trucks begin
5pm-8pm: Live iron pour demonstration