Olbrich Gardens 3330 Atwood Ave. , Madison , Wisconsin 53714

FeLion Studios is back with its annual “community iron pour” event, sure to warm up the great lawn at Olbrich on a likely chilly day. The iron pouring is handled by pros starting at noon, but the public is invited to design scratch tile sand molds to capture the molten reclaimed metal. Blank tiles can be purchased at the Olbrich gift shop and must be returned by Feb. 18; there's also a design workshop by FeLion’s Alisa Toninato starting Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Spectator admission is free, and an afterparty follows until 10 p.m. next door at Garver Feed Mill. Find all the details at felionstudios.com.

The scene at the 2020 Pour'n Yer Heart Out event hosted by FeLion Studios.

press release: The 13th annual Pour'n Yer Heart Out community iron pour event will commence live & in person on the great lawn outside at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison on February 19, 2022. This radical outdoor/indoor winter gathering is a hands on way to experience FeLion Studios’ metal casting process through an engaging all day demonstration of the foundry arts. The FeLion iron tribe offers several unique opportunities for anyone interested in learning the craft, to make a custom piece of cast iron art via workshops leading up to the event and on the day of the iron pour event.

Event day will feature a sand mold scratch tile workshop from 9-11 am, with the iron pour taking place from noon-4 pm. An afterparty follows at Garver Feed Mill from 5:30-10 pm.

Visitors, artists, students and professionals of all backgrounds come together with the common goal of melting 3,000 lbs of molten iron to create hundreds of unique cast iron art works that are made by the hands of the community during the coldest time of the year. 

Participants vary from people as young as 5 years old to 90 years old, and they may be experienced artists or complete novices from entirely non-artistic backgrounds. The results created at the event are hundreds of distinctively unique iron castings made on site using the FeLion cupola style furnace and a tribe of talented professional artists, engineers & intern students working together as part of the FeLion family. The lessons learned through watching or participating in the process offers a new found excitement for the ability to make something with our hands that will last longer than us.

Afterparty, 5:30-10 pm, at Garver Feed Mill; there's a special (discounted) drink menu waiting for anyone who purchases our official PYHO stainless steel event mugs with the brand new logo on them, available at the event this year. Bring in that mug for all-night refills from the menu, and get a chance to bond with the iron tribe & participating sponsors after the event is over. Watch here for info: https://www.facebook.com/events/339007031563720/

PARTICIPATE: We are thrilled to partner with Olbrich Gardens and the Bodgery Makerspace to offer a dynamic lineup of community workshops starting in January 2022 that are available for every skill and experience level out there. Workshops are a fun & inspiring way to bounce ideas off of the FeLion team, meet other community participants, and socialize while you make something radically unique with your hands. Find links to check out the 2022 Workshop & participation opportunities below to register for a class, RSVP as a visiting iron artists from out of town, or become an event sponsor. Get social & make something awesome with us!

2022 Community Mold Making Workshop Registrations

For Visiting Iron Artists — The tribe

Purchase D-I-Y Sand Mold Blanks at Olbrich Gardens

Available for purchase at Olbrich Gardens, daily 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. $40 per tile. (4) mold template options subject to current availability upon arrival at the Gardens. Pay onsite at the Gardens in Olbrich’s lobby when picking up tile. Tiles must be returned to Olbrich Botanical Gardens by Wednesday, February 16 for prep before the pour. TAKE A PHOTO of your mold before final drop off. Photos are used to verify that it’s your casting at pickup after the event!

Become an Iron Pour Sponsor: Without community and industry support, the “Pour’n Yer Heart Out” community event would have never made it to the 13th year running. We are so grateful for over a decade of success shared with industry leaders & individual heroes that support this radical experience for the health of our creative & manufacturing future.

As this event continues to grow, the needs & resources to keep it safe, organized, comfortable & fun grows too! Being a part of the 2022 sponsorship efforts means more than helping keep the flames lit & iron flowing in our community. It shows your dedication to creative education through hands on learning, networking & inspiring young minds about the possibilities of trying something new. Your sponsorship effects our community & the greater good for generations ahead.

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