Silversmithing photo by Tara Burns

WBCA In the News

Patrons' challenge inspires iron pour

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

By Mike Morgan

This weekend's iron pour at Tamarack Nature Center will culminate a community collaboration years in the making.

The White Bear Center for the Arts had worked for two years to organize an art project for East Metro Women's Council, an organization that provides affordable housing and services for homeless families in White Bear Lake and surrounding communities, said WBCA Executive Director Suzi Hudson.

Anne Rogers, a patron of the art center and volunteer tutor at EMWC, had encouraged Hudson to plan a project that would bring art to the children living at the White Bear Lake EMWC facility. Rogers died last fall.

"It was inspired by her challenge," Hudson said of the project. "It's brought so many people together."

Hudson originally planned to offer the children art classes at Tamarack Nature Center, but the plans didn't work out because of transportation difficulties.

When the art center held its first iron pour event during last fall's Art Walk, Hudson decided to invite the EMWC children to participate in a similar event.

Hudson secured grant money and arranged for artists to visit the EMWC building to work with the children.

Trisha Kauffman, executive director of EMWC, said the project was a hit.

"Families living here now had the opportunity to create art that will be here for many years to come," she said.

The children's designs will be transformed into iron tiles that will be installed in the garden outside the EMWC building's expansion that opened in December.

Along with the children, EMWC staff members, residents and volunteers also participated in the project, which resulted in over 30 tiles that will be transformed into permanent representations of EMWC's mission.

"We went through a list of words that were part of our mission," Kauffman said.

Children then chose themes like hope, compassion, home and strength and created clay molds of words and pictures.

This weekend's event will also feature the work of other residents who made tiles and 3-D sculptures.

Several pieces of art will be on display, Hudson said. Food and beverages will be available on site from Washington Square Bar and Grill. Fire jugglers will be on hand as well.

Mike Morgan can be reached at 651-407-1218 or whitebearpress@sherbtel.net.

Copyright © 2006 Press Publications. All rights reserved.

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