We recently connected with Julie Slattery and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Julie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I always knew I wanted to be an artist. As a kid I took every art summer camp and class I could. In high-school we only had drawing and painting but I took every class available. When I started undergrad at Alfred University I thought I was going to be a painter but thankfully they make you try different mediums. I took a foundry class my second year and fell in love with the process. I learned so much from my professors and classmates.
After college, I moved to New Mexico to work in an art gallery to learn about the other side of the art world. I learned the ins and outs of gallery management and had the opportunity to speak with a lot of artists who were advanced in their careers.
I missed the process so much though and was able to get a job working in a fine art foundry there in New Mexico where I was able to hone my skills. Unfortunately, only three months after working at the foundry, the business closed. So that was a bit of an obstacle for me as I thought I would be working there for a long time.
I searched around for different opportunities and found Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum, and this is where I really felt my career was launched. I worked at their one month summer internship in 2018 and I learned so much and created my best work. I only wish I had gone there sooner. I now return to Sculpture Trails every summer as an artist and am able to cast my larger iron sculptures.
The skill I find most essential is being able to work with other people and ask for help, support and advice.

Julie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am from a small city in upstate New York called Binghamton. I lived there until I was 18 when I went off to college at Alfred University. I studied fine art and was able to take my first foundry class in my second year. After college I worked at an art gallery in New Mexico and then I worked at Shidoni Bronze Foundry in Tesuque, New Mexico. I was given the opportunity to intern at Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum in Solsberry, Indiana where I learned the iron casting process in depth.
I now create bronze, aluminum and iron sculptures. I mainly create figures and animals. I am able to take commissions and most recently sculpted a corgi for a client that was cast in bronze.
I think what sets me apart from others and what I am most proud of is being able to channel difficult and complex emotions into my work. I am also proud of my ability to ask for guidance and learn from other artists. I am not afraid to not know something even though it can feel vulnerable to ask for help.
Something I want potential clients and followers to know about me is that I will always do my best to find a way to make their commission possible. I take a lot of pride in my process and love to problem solve. Casting isn’t always straight forward but I love a challenge.
You can find my work on my website www.julieslattery.com and see my process and newest pieces first on instagram @julieslatterysculpture

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Last year, 2024, I rented a small studio space in the River Arts District of Asheville, NC where I currently live. My partner and I worked incredibly hard to get the space set up. We created so much work together there and were able to connect with many other artists in the incredible art community in Asheville. It was a dream come true.
Sadly, on September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina. My beloved studio was flooded. The building was full of mud and destroyed artworks. I have never seen anything like it. But the art community came together to support one another, there were hundreds of volunteers within a week of the flood cleaning out the building and salvaging artwork. It was beautiful to be a part of.
While losing my space was truly heart breaking, I am tearing up just talking about it now, I feel I have been able to work through a lot of the grief caused by Hurricane Helene and am now back to creating new work from home. I intend to create some new pieces about the grief and loss I experienced.
The building owners are working hard to restore the building and I will hopefully be moving back into my space in June of this year 2025.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew how welcoming the cast iron community is sooner and I wish I had gotten involved sooner. I was always very intimidated by the process and the people in the community. When I finally gave it a chance, I was welcomed with open arms. Everyone really loves to help each other learn and make their art. There are many ways to get involved to learn and you do not need any experience to get started. Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum hosts an event every year called Fire @ Nite where you can dip your toes into the process and create a small relief sculpture. Its the last Saturday of every July. You can also apply for the internship for a crash course in iron casting. Then, every two years is the National Cast Iron Conference at Sloss Furnaces where you can take work shops, listen to panels, watch demonstrations or even participate in a performance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.julieslattery.com
• Instagram: @julieslatterysculpture

Image Credits

1. Eddie Relick
2. Virginia Elliot
3. Virginia Elliot

I took the remaining 5 photos