Sculpture
Code: S1513-26
-
O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Introduction to Hot Metal Casting
Sep 7 - 18, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Tuition: $1,650.00
Course Fee: $500.00
Registration Fee: $45.00
Concept
Experience the power of hot metal casting in this two-week intensive workshop covering the entire process of creating a cast metal sculpture. Students start by learning how to create wax forms to be transformed into bronze or aluminum, then are guided through the highly technical process of creating the ceramic shell mold, the burn-out process, and casting hot metal. Participants also explore the green sand-casting technique for quick-casting possibilities. Students come away with the knowledge, vocabulary, and an understanding of cast metal’s place in contemporary art practice. This workshop is ideal for anyone who has never cast metal before and for those who wish to brush-up on their skills.
Media & Techniques
wax sculpting, casting, bronze, aluminum, wax, ceramic shell, foundry equipment, grinders, sanders, patina
Faculty
Betsy Alwin
Artistic Director of Ceramics and Expanded Media
Betsy Alwin is the Artistic Director of Ceramics and Expanded Media at Anderson Ranch. She is a sculptor working in ceramics and mixed media. She attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and holds an MFA from Illinois State University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including the Berkshire Botanical Gardens (Mass MoCA), the National Botanic Gardens in Washington D.C., AIR Gallery, New York, The Phipps Center, Hudson WI, Gallerie Lucida in Red Brick, NJ, and The Ceramic Art Avenue Art Gallery, Jingdezhen, China. Public commissions include sculptures at the Onoden Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan, Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, MN, and Silverwood Park in St. Anthony, MN. She is the recipient of numerous awards including a 2022 Artist Individual Support Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and is a 2025 Aspen Museum Artist Fellow. Alwin is represented by Rubine Red Gallery in Palm Springs, CA.
William Lanzillo
Studio Coordinator, Sculpture
William Lanzillo is the Studio Coordinator of Sculpture at Anderson Ranch. He is a sculptor whose work includes objects, performances, and interactive experiences. He recently earned an MFA in Sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Hot metal casting in Anderson Ranch's sculpture facility
Tuition: $1,650.00
Course Fee: $500.00
Registration Fee: $45.00
Workshop Details
Workshop Supplies
For general information about studio access, shipping, and more, please visit our info page.
If you have any questions regarding your supplies for your workshop, please contact William Lanzillo, [email protected].
Provided by Anderson Ranch
Supplies
- Patinas
- Model materials (plaster, casting plastic)*
- Bronze*
- Aluminum*
Required Tools and Supplies
- Olivine sand green sand mix
- Plywood flask material
- Hardware for flasks
- Sand casting tools
- Heat resistant jackets
- Face shields
- Sandpaper
- Sand blaster
- Grinders
- Ceramic shell molds
- Safety glasses**
What you need to bring
Required Tools and Supplies
- Closed-toe shoes or work boots
- All natural fiber clothing, such as blue-jeans and cotton shirt
Optional Tools and Supplies
- A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen**
- A reusable water bottle**
- Any materials that you may want for your projects
- Any materials that you may want to use to pack up your projects to take home, ie: moving blankets, packing tape, bubble wrap or boxes.
- Basic white or light colored T-shirts for screen printing**
- Tools that you own that you will be unhappy without.
- Work gloves
* Available for purchase in the studio.
** Available to purchase at the Anderson Ranch ArtWorks Store for 10% off. The store aims to stock comparable items, though specific products from the supply list may vary based on inventory.
Learn more about shipping supplies and artwork to and from the Ranch in the Student Handbook.
Lodging & Meals
Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations.
NEW: Course fees includes a welcome dinner and lunches. In our effort to foster a stronger sense of community and accessibility at Anderson Ranch, we include the welcome dinner and all lunches as part of course fees for summer workshop students. Our hope is that this adjustment will encourage all students to come together to share meals and engage in meaningful conversations. The Ranch Café Meal Plan, which is included with Room and Board fees, strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. Learn more.
We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.
Sculpture
Sculpture Studio in Aspen / Snowmass
The Sculpture Studio at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Snowmass Village near Aspen, Colorado, is a purpose-built professional sculpture facility designed to support large-scale fabrication, material experimentation, and immersive studio practice. The space accommodates a wide range of processes, including carving, welding, casting, kinetic systems, and mixed-media construction.
With indoor and outdoor work areas, specialized tools, and technical infrastructure for both traditional and contemporary approaches, the Sculpture Studio provides artists the freedom to work across scale and material with structural support and professional-grade equipment.
Interested in enrolling? Explore the full schedule of Sculpture workshops at Anderson Ranch.
Express your creativity and vision by exploring the limitless art of sculpture. At Anderson Ranch, our sculpture program offers a vibrant spectrum of workshops that reflect a variety of studio practices. At the confluence of tradition and technology, these programs are material and technique-rich, ranging from classical metal fabrication to experimental digital production.
Students work in communal and interactive studios designed for all levels of experience, supporting traditional and nontraditional methods. The sculpture studios are fully equipped with advanced machinery and offer additional outdoor covered workspace.
Our renowned sculpture faculty work closely with students through critical discussions, material demonstrations and individual assistance. Instructors encourage exploration and experimentation, emphasizing process and idea development. We complement this with a focus on process and sound construction. You leave with far more than finished pieces—you walk away with the tools and inspiration required to elevate your studio practice.
Don’t know where to start? View the skill levels for sculpture workshops.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a historic, rustic campus that features gravel pathways and uneven terrain that may pose challenges for individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. We strive to provide accommodations to ensure all guests can access and enjoy our programs and facilities. With advance notice, our staff can offer personalized assistance and coordinate access to studios and campus spaces. For questions or to request an accommodation, please contact us at (970) 923-3181 or [email protected].
Related Events
Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts
Making Art Accessible
Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.
Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.
You Might Also Be Interested In
-
O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Jul 6 - 10, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Delight in the Miniature: Model-Making
Sung Ho Kim
Tuition $1,200
Code W0606-26
Discover the power of the miniature to capture imagination in this unique introduction to architecture through model-making. Students explore making as a way of thinking while learning the woodworking and technical skills involved in creating a model. They learn how to visualize the organization of space and develop their own innovative techniques for representing the built world in miniature. We focus on woodcraft, technique, design, and ideas through the instructor’s visionary and transformative processes, grounded in the knowledge of historical and contemporary design practices. Students develop their own models for spaces—real or imagined—gaining confidence, curiosity, and insight into the development of our built environments.
-
II
Level II
Students have a basic knowledge of 3-D art making and sculpture concepts and are comfortable using a variety of hand and power tools. Students have taken one or two sculpture classes or workshops.
-
III
Level III
Students have experience with a variety of materials and fabrication techniques and know how to use hand and power tools competently and safely. Students are self-starting with some formal training in critical aspects of sculpture and have a portfolio of artwork. Students have taken a minimum of three classes or workshops.
-
IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skills and knowledge of sculpture. Students are highly motivated, have a minimum of five years experience in the field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Typical students are academics and professional artists.
Jul 6 - 10, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
What is on the Inside of the Outside: Seeing Through Material Exploration
Jilaine Jones
Tuition $1,250
Code S0606-26
Explore the intersection of perception, material, and personal expression in this immersive sculpture workshop. Students create sculptures in response to an installation of elements arranged by the instructor. The focus is not on replicating what is seen, but on translating impressions into a personal, expressive language that reveals the maker’s own perceptions and feelings. Using a variety of materials — clay, cardboard, linear steel, and plaster — participants explore different ways of thinking and feeling through each medium. Each material offers unique possibilities for interpreting the installation, allowing students to experiment with visual, physical, and emotional responses. Through the creation of multiple sculptural iterations, students discover how the behavior of each material can uncover new ideas, truths, and modes of expression, deepening their understanding of form, process, and personal vision.
-
III
Level III
Students have formal training in critical issues of 2-D art making, experience with public critiques and a solid portfolio of their artwork.
-
IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of painting and drawing. Students are highly motivated and self-directed, have a minimum of five years experience in their field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Portfolio review is required for admittance to some Level IV classes.
Jul 13 - 17, 2026
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: July 13, 15, & 17, 9AM-12PM
Beyond Judgment: The Work of Critique
Paula Crown, Liz Ferrill
Tuition $150
Code D0734-26
In Against Interpretation, Susan Sontag writes, "What is important now is to recover our senses. We must learn to See more, to Hear more, to Feel more." This community focused, discussion and critique-based workshop encourages artists to investigate their artistic intentions within a supportive environment of critical thinking, looking, and responding. As a cohort of artists who are active participants in the act of observation and interpretation, the intention is to expand one's understanding of how to speak about the work of our peers without judgment or categorization. Though this is not a traditional critique class, we focus on building skills in how to guide a studio visit with questions, avoiding art world sound bytes but rather spotlighting authentic and unique feedback. This workshop is for serious artists who are searching for community, dialogue, and honesty within a cohort. Participants are encouraged to bring physical work as well as digital images to share and discuss, with emphasis on awareness and being present among the group. TO REGISTER: Please contact Lindsey Yeager, Studio Coordinator of Painting, Drawing & Printmaking, at [email protected] to inquire about attending this workshop.