This afternoon city officials, members of Sloss Furnaces‘ board of directors and members of the general public gathered for something a little different than your regular groundbreaking for its visitors center. Those gathered in the shed of the historic site got to witness an iron pour commemorating the start of construction of the new 10,000 square foot facility next week.
The pour was no doubt a nod to the national historic landmark site’s designation as the only 20th century blast furnace being interpreted as a museum in the country as well as its reputation throughout the country as a center for metal arts. According to the press release for the event, the space “will use applied science, history, and interactive technology” as it attempts to inform visitors about the iron-making process. As reported yesterday by The Birmingham News, the Sloss Foundation will be covering $1 million of the cost of construction & all of the currently estimated $3 million cost for creating the center’s exhibits. The remaining $4 million will be covered by the city.
If you’ve never experienced an iron pour at Sloss, here’s a taste:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=028WR091I4U]The visitors center is scheduled to open in late 2013.
Have you visited Goldie?
If you’re in Tuscaloosa between now and the end of December this year and you’re walking by Woods Quad on the Alabama campus, you’ll stumble upon a sculpture created by graduate student Joe McCreary (who just so happens to work as the metal arts education coordinator at Sloss Furnaces). The piece, named Goldie has a serious purpose to it though, according to the post on Alabama’s faculty/staff blog – dialog:
“Goldie symbolizes the closing of Birmingham’s Sloss Furnaces in 1972 and America’s passage into the post-industrial era. The robot is not so much dead or sleeping as turned off.”
Now there’s a photo of Goldie on the site, but we were wondering if someone wouldn’t mind scoring one for our use – in exchange for a white Terminal T of course. Drop us an email with the file or link if you’re interested.
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Posted in Quirky
Tagged AL, Alabama, Birmingham, Commentary, Goldie, Joe McCreary, robot, sculpture, Sloss Furnaces, Tuscaloosa, Woods Quad