Molten iron is poured into scratch blocks at the Art Foundry. (Photo provided)
October 28, 2026
SIU sculpture fundraiser offers 30 scratch blocks for cast iron artwork
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University’s sculpture program and the student organization Critical Forum are selling 30 scratch blocks that supporters can use to create their own cast-iron artwork. Sales will continue through the program’s Nov. 7 iron pour at the Art Foundry, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Blocks cost $20 to $30, and buyers are asked to bring the exact amount. When they sell out, no more will be offered. A scratch block is a tile made of resin-bonded sand, used to scratch a shallow-relief design to create a custom mold for molten iron.
The fundraiser is at the center of what Alex Lopez, associate professor and head of sculpture in the School of Art and Design, calls this year’s “home-alone event.” Besides raising money to keep “the ever-rising cost of materials down for students,” the program will use the pour to reignite its smaller cupola and test new ideas.
Blocks can be purchased at the foundry, 1520 W. Pleasant Hill Road in Carbondale, on Mondays from noon to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. Sales end at 10 a.m. the day of the pour.
Finished pieces can be picked up during the same hours beginning Nov. 13.
The program’s big annual iron pour returns as a public event next year.
For questions or more information, email Lopez at alxlpz@siu.edu or call 618-453-7548. Updates are posted on Instagram at @siucsculpture.