Members-only
About the prize
In celebration of their recent research into the properties of ductile iron, Coles Castings is proud to announce the inaugural Coles Castings Iron Prize.
The Coles Castings Iron Prize invites Members and Fellows of the Society to apply to have a new work professionally cast in iron at their specialist foundry in North Dorset.
The winner will be given the opportunity to collaborate with the foundry to realise a work using the lost wax process.
The prize seeks to promote excellence and material innovation in sculpture. Favoured for its profound physical presence and rich surface potential, iron provides a rare balance of industrial strength and refined detail.
Through the integration of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary artistic practice, Coles Castings seeks to champion iron as a compelling vehicle for fine art.
The winner will be notified in early June and production is scheduled to take place during the Summer of 2026, allowing the recipient to work closely with the Coles Castings team throughout the casting process.
Submission Specifications
- Medium: Cast Iron
- Dimensions: The proposed work must be limited to 300mm (h) x 300mm (w) x 300mm (d)
- Casting must take place during the Summer of 2026
Ductile Innovations for the Modern Sculptor
Watch this presentation where Coles Castings’ co-founder Stephen Coles speaks about the journey that has led the team to develop, in close collaboration with partners across the UK, the US and beyond, a new alloy that now allows them to offer a ductile iron in addition to its standard cast iron process. Stephen also introduces a new award, the Coles Castings Iron Prize, that will enable a member or fellow of the Society to cast a new sculpture as part of Coles Castings mission to promote excellence and material innovation in sculpture.
Background: Ductile Innovations for the Modern Sculptor
Coles Castings is pleased to announce after much research and some trial and error that it is now able to offer a ductile iron in addition to its standard cast iron.
The project has led the team from Dorset to the deserts of Arizona, the West Coast and the industrial South of America to Edinburgh and Bristol!
The presentation will also discuss collaborating with Arizona State University as well as Mill Farm Engineering and West Dean College to test the microstructure of the material and to explore the best methods of heat treatment to produce this new alloy.
Coles Castings has offered cast iron as a material for artists for some years now.
The foundry has also had the pleasure of working with Society members such as Dilys Jackson MRSS, Gordon Munro MRSS, Melissa Murray MRSS, Rebecca Newnham FRSS and Simon Hitchens FRSS casting pieces in iron as part of their broader practices.
About Coles Castings
Coles Castings is a foundry in North Dorset run by Stephen Coles and Necole Schmitz and it specialises in bespoke cast iron, bronze and aluminium for art, design and heritage projects.
Coles Castings offer an extensive range of foundry processes including lost wax in ceramic shell, traditional sand moulding, silicon rubber mould making, metal finishing, and patination.
With our fine art background and decades of foundry experience, we are uniquely positioned to understand how the motivations of a creative process can work alongside the technical considerations necessary to produce works to a high specification.
Whether you are an experienced sculptor or new to the casting process, we will walk you through every step of the way to ensure you take away a product worth celebrating.
For more information or for a quote relating to your project please email info@colescastings.com or call 07519136803.
