GO! SEE! EXPLORE! :: The Metal Museum

Museums are special, magical places that can transport learners of all ages to new worlds, allowing them to explore works by artists from all over the globe using different methods and materials, from aluminum to yarn.

The Metal Museum takes that experience to another level entirely with the ultimate show and tell at the Smithy and Foundry, the two sections of the Metals Shop. There, metalsmiths work on projects large and small, demonstrating techniques that have been around for centuries. Innovation is alive and well at the Museum, too, with 3D design programs used to create complex models.

If that doesn’t whet the curiosity of kids and parents alike, maybe this next word will: Fire!

Because whether twisting hot metal or pouring iron, these demonstrations are unique opportunities to watch art being created in real time, most of the time using heat to make metal malleable.

Many of the projects the metalsmiths work on are commissioned pieces, such as the Mosasaur gracing MoSH.

This giant metal creature, weighing in at over 1,600 pounds, was made from more than 400 forged and cast components. Using a program to create 3D molds, the Metals Shop made each individual rib and tooth and vertebrae. Talk about exciting!

Experiences that excite and inspire are part and parcel of a Metal Museum visit. Guided tours of the Museum grounds, current exhibitions, and participation in hands-on activities are available for groups throughout the year. So are classes, many of them designed with beginners in mind.

In addition to the demonstrations and hands-on activities, exhibitions take place year-round, featuring art as small and intricate as jewelry and as big and expansive as full-wall steel sculptures.

All tell a story.

These exhibitions usually include an educational activity, too. For instance, with the RINGS! 1986 – 2021 exhibition, visitors can make their own origami ring and play RINGS! Bingo to learn more about the 150+ pieces in the exhibition from international artists hailing from over two dozen countries.

More than anything, museums in all their creativity inspire possibility. Nowhere is this more evident than at the Metal Museum, which has been encouraging future artists since opening in 1979.

The Metal Museum will be hosting a free Family Fun Day
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 21.

It will be an afternoon of fun and food at the Family Fun Tent, where visitors can:

• Interact with 30 metal artists honing their craft
• Discover their inner artist at the make-it stations
• Explore three incredible exhibitions in the Museum galleries
• Enjoy a picnic lunch and stunning view of the Mississippi River
• Make an art tile for the special iron pour                                                                     
• Have a front-row view of the iron pour
• And much, much more!

The Metal Museum is located at 374 Metal Museum Drive. It is open from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. For more information and directions to the Museum visit metalmuseum.org

The unique learning environment at Lausanne Collegiate School includes small class sizes as well as inspiring and supportive faculty. Lausanne is located at 1381 W. Massey Rd, 38120. Learn more about what sets academics at Lausanne apart or call (901) 474-1000 to schedule a tour.