Branching Out showcases the art of casting from a variety of perspectives and lineages of shared knowledge. Discover intricate connections between students, teachers, and casting communities, which branch out much like a family tree. Our curatorial team has worked closely with our foundry staff, former apprentices, and volunteers to present how casting knowledge is shared and advanced through the process of making. The exhibited works, cast by talented individuals in foundries nationwide, reveal a network of artists linked by their shared training. Explore the traces of learning lineages in the artists' works that create a narrative spanning time and place. 

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A portion of this exhibition, an installation Gasparrini West from February 18 to June 23, 2024, will feature artworks cast by Metal Museum staff, apprentices, and volunteers. We are proud of the talent and teaching that have graced our grounds since we started hosting pours in the 1980s. Bob Rogers volunteered and built our first foundry behind what is now our Lawler Foundry, which opened with an inaugural pour on October 18, 2003. Since his arrival in 2014, James Vanderpool has mentored five foundry apprentices. With classes, scratch block activities, and internships we continue to deepen our roots in the Memphis community, while our family tree of Lawler Foundry artists continues to branch out.