Walla Walla Foundry

Mark Anderson's Walla Walla Foundry is known worldwide by artists. I got to go on a tour there this week. It was amazing! I went along with the public art committee I have been a part of for 3 1/2 years. Our final public art project will be installed along main street in about 2-3 weeks. We were able to go to the foundry and watch them pour molten bronze into some of the molds that will be OUR sculptures, as well as see multiple pieces being completed for our project. It was awesome, and I had know idea how complex the bronze process is!

This is Mark Anderson, founder and owner of the Foundry. Do you like the cool space suits they wear while pouring the molten lava?

Molten bronze is over 2000 degrees hot, it felt like I was standing by the sun. This is not a zoomed in picture, I was right there.

Here is one of our friends in progress, another to the right. The unpolished bronze almost looks like bisque ware clay to me, and then gets so shiny.

This penny is going to New York City, instead of our town--but I wanted my picture with it :)

It is also a work of Tom Otterness, the artist of our project. It is headed to New York with a Bull and a Bear on either side of it pushing.....
Check out the article in the Tri-City Herald today!