Unyielding Shapes

Unyielding Shapes aims to reflect the strength, artistry, and perseverance of female metal casters. It contains work from professional and amateur artists alike, creating a non-hierarchical environment much like the pour floor - everyone’s contribution is valued equally, and as a result, supportive relationships flourish and art-making becomes possible on an individual and community level.

At the University of Minnesota, an expansive public institution that houses one of the Midwest’s remaining state-of-the-art foundries, many students taking the metal casting course are non-art majors. The work they create there is often not given the exhibition it deserves, and a huge portion of iron work created by women in this space is never publicly shown.

Unyielding Shapes contains several works by student artists, both art majors and non-art majors, alongside works by professionals, educators, and other members of the cast iron community that have encouraged and taught this younger generation of metal casters.