I recently had the opportunity to tour the Walla Walla Foundry. I had been hoping to visit this place for some time, and I was excited when the opportunity arose. My visit did not disappoint. Mark Anderson, President, devoted a couple hours to the group of us from WSU, generously spending his time to help us understand what takes place at the foundry. From my limited experience working through the casting process, I can appreciate the great deal of time, skill, and problem solving that goes into creating these sculptures.The facilities were impressive, as were the individuals on hand to keep the place running. It is a fascinating place from an operations standpoint, as well as from the viewpoint of an artist. Internationally recognized and well established artists work with and depend upon the expertise at the foundry in order to realize their projects.
I've come away from this experience with some ideas in mind of how I might apply new techniques to my own working process. The equipment and buildings in this industrial setting were inspiring to me in themselves. A visit to the foundry was a great glimpse into the art world and the working process behind creating sculptures. They make use of some advanced forms of technology, facilitating the process of creating complex and large scale forms. It gives me much to consider, especially as I think about the scale of my own work.
