MMM, Iron!

The 2025 Minneapolis Molten Metal Cast Iron Invitational

This coming September, the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center is proud to host the first ever Minneapolis Molten Metal Cast Iron Invitational, a five‑day, neighborhood‑scaled iron‑casting festival that transforms CAFAC into an open, collaborative foundry. By pairing hands-on workshops with a public iron pour, the Minneapolis Molten Metal demystifies an art form that is usually hidden behind industrial walls and invites residents, artists, and visitors to co‑create awe‑inspiring artworks with molten metal.

Starting in August, we’ll be hosting a series of iron workshops and events, including one-day scratch tile workshops, a four-week rosette iron workshop, and — the main event — a four-day intensive sand mold studio culminating in a community iron pour on September 20th!

This iron pour is an annual event open to the whole community, turning a once‑exclusive craft into a vibrant neighborhood ritual—one that melts metal and the boundaries between artist, neighbor, and visitor.

Questions on the event, including accessibility considerations? Email us at info@cafac.org.

Cast Iron Workshops and Classes

As part of the invitational, we’re offering a series of iron classes to beginner and experienced cast metal artists! These range from half-day experiences to multi-day intensives.

Community Scratch Tile Workshops

In this workshop, you’ll create a sand mold of your own design to be cast in iron at the Minneapolis Molten Metal Cast Iron Invitational on September 20. In this three-hour session, we’ll discuss the basics of the iron casting process and guide you through the process of reductive carving to create the mold for your tile. The workshop will ignite your interest in one of the myriad methods of metal casting and the magic of molten metal! No prior experience required.

Cost: Free! Each participant gets one tile.

Three dates offered: 10am-1pm on August 17, 2-6pm on August 22, and 10am-1pm September 14.

Metal Casting Project Shop: Rosette Iron

Maybe you've seen the beautiful and delicious rosette cookies in holiday gift baskets, especially those given by Swedish grandmothers. Have you ever wondered how these magical treats are made? The trick is what's known as a rosette iron!

In this class, you'll make your own heirloom rosette iron so that you can continue the time honored tradition of rosette cookie baking yourself. You'll start by designing your pattern, whether traditional or something else you dream up.

Cost: $200 ($155 tuition + $45 materials)

Thursdays from August 28 to September 25, from 10am-1pm

Metal Memento: Cast Your Favorite Object

Have you ever wished you could transform something into metal forever? In this class we will go over the basics of molding an object or pattern and casting it in molten metal (aluminum or bronze). You'll learn the basics of making a two-piece mold of a found or created pattern you provide. The class will cover appropriate choices for objects/patterns, self-setting sand molding techniques, venting and spruing of molds, metal heating and pouring, and basic finishing of cast pieces.

Note: while this class focuses on cast bronze and aluminum, we’re also adding the opportunity to carve a scratch tile to be poured at the iron pour, if you have time left after your class project.

Cost: $240 ($195 tuition + $45 materials)

Saturdays from August 9 - September 13th, from 10am-1pm

Cast Iron Workshop: Sand Mold Studio & Iron Pour

This four-day immersive workshop will culminate in community iron pour on September 20. Open to artists and students of all skill levels, this sand mold workshop offers hands-on experience in casting molten iron using traditional foundry techniques. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced caster, you'll learn new skills, connect with fellow makers, and create a custom iron casting.

The Sand Mold Studio & Iron Pour experience includes:

• Guidance by instructors through the process of mold making, including establishing parting lines and ramming multi-part molds using resin-bonded sand.

• Presentations on metal casting techniques and hands-on demonstrations of the entire casting process.

• 30 pounds of iron and 200 pounds of resin-bonded sand.* You’ll have the opportunity to create one to three molds, depending on experience and time constraints.

• Working alongside an experienced casting crew to learn furnace operations and pouring molten metal.

Cost: $350 ($250 tuition + $100 materials)

*Additional iron and resin-bonded sand available at a per-pound rate.

From 10am-6pm on September 17, 18, 19, and 20; from 11am-2pm on September 21.

Meet the team

This Cultural Districts Arts Fund activation is funded, in part, by the City of Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department.