Sculpture Students Work With Molten Metal

Marjee Levine and Holly Kelly recently coordinated with the Multiples and Series class to bring a unique opportunity to campus for Montserrat’s sculpture students. Eutectic Arts, a nonprofit educational and mental health organization co-founded by Marjee Levine and Lou Fahey, brought their aluminum furnace to Beverly and gave the students an introduction to a new material in an engaging and safe way.

The furnace—which Eutectic Arts built themselves—heats up to 1100° F over the course of 45 minutes. As the pre-loaded aluminum ingots in the furnace begin to melt, more are added in through the hole at the top. Once full of melted aluminum, one person tilts the furnace, and two receive the molten metal in a handled pot called a “ladle.” The students then—carefully—pour molten aluminum from the ladle into resin-bonded sand molds they created to cast their artwork.

When not bringing the furnace directly to art students, Eutectic Arts uses this sculptural process as an innovative form of learning. The two founders—Levine and Fahey—use their deep experience in their respective fields to turn the art of casting metal into a collaborative and captivating experience which encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and communication. Marjee Levine is an adjunct professor at MassArt, a professional artist, and an expert in metal casting. Lou Fahey is a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist who has been working with kids in public and therapeutic schools for 20 years. Together, the two view this process (and their partnership) as a fusion of technical skill and therapeutic expertise.

You can read more about Eutectic Arts at their website. Or follow them on Instagram at @eutecticarts. And while you’re there, visit @mcasculpture to see what other amazing, innovative work our students are doing!