PAUL WATSON
Paul Watson is a sculptor and print maker from North Reading, MA and is currently located in Asheville, NC where he is the Co-Owner of Molten Made Gallery in the River Arts District.
Previously Watson was the Resident Artist at Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum in Solsberry, IN. As the Resident Artist, Watson runs the July artist work shops, cares for and restores over 150 sculptures and maintains three miles of hiking trails.
Watson received his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in sculpture in December 2015 from Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
His work has been in exhibitions nationally included the Steering Committee Exhibition at the National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and Practices at Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, AL and in the Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum’s Ongoing Exhibition. Watson has received several awards for his work in the cast iron community including the Erik Johnson Award and he was a member of the Steering committee for NCCCIAP in 2017 and 2019 where he co-organized all of the performances during the conference.
Watson works mainly in cast iron, steel, and concrete. He also creates his own carved woodblock prints. His work explores the concept of humanity through decay and anatomy.
Watson’s favorite thing in the world is his dog Ingot who he found in the woods at Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum in 2015.
CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION
DECEMBER 2015
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS, MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN,
BOSTON, MA
Concentration in Sculpture
EXPERIENCE
AUGUST 2017 – JANUARY 2020
RESIDENT ARTIST, SCULPTURE TRAILS OUTDOOR MUSEUM,
SOLSBERRY, IN
• Maintenance and upkeep on 150+ largescale sculptures
• Grounds and trails maintenance on 50 acres and 3 miles of walking paths
• Leading, managing, and execution of the July Cast Iron Workshop
• Facilitator in large sand mold and iron sculpture making
• Guided tour leader and event coordinator
• Assistant educator for school outreach programs
• Workshop instructor for Museum events
SEPTEMBER 2016 – JULY 2017
MANAGER, BR METAL PRODUCTS,
CRAWFORD, TN
• Overseer of pour floor and successful casting of specified aluminum parts
• Maintenance, upkeep, and rebuilding of tools and machinery
• Proper load, unload, and operation of a 1 ton induction furnace
• Proper load, unload, and operation of a 1/2 ton gas furnace
• Ability to create part invoices and fill orders to specifications
• General labor to see parts to fruition. Pour, grind, temper, finish
JANUARY 2015 - AUGUST 2016
FOUNDRY TECHNICIAN, SINCERE SPECIALTY FABRICATION AND CASTING,
CHELSEA, MA
• Chasing and finishing of bronze castings
• Fabrication/execution of custom steel forms and objects to client needs/specifications
• Wax and mold preparation for ceramic investment process
• Maintenance and completion of ceramic investment process on client sculptures
• Mold maker
JANUARY 2015 – AUGUST 2016
FOUNDRY TECHNICIAN, MISSION FOUNDRY,
BOSTON, MA
• Chasing and finishing of bronze and aluminum castings
• Wax and mold preparation for ceramic investment process
• Maintenance and completion of ceramic investment process on client sculptures
• Fabrication and maintenance of tools and machinery
• Finishing of high end bronze furniture for public and private collections
• Mold maker
SEPTEMBER 2014 – DECEMBER 2015
GENERAL LABOR, NEW ENGLAND SCULPTURE SERVICE,
CHELSEA, MA
• Devesting of ceramic investment material from bronze sculptures
• Maintenance and completion of ceramic investment process on client sculptures
• Proper loading, unloading, and operation of car kiln
• Chasing and finishing of bronze castings
SEPTEMBER 2012 – AUGUST 2014
INSTRUCTOR, STONYBROOK FINE ARTS,
JAMAICA PLAIN, MA
• Mold making and plaster casting instructor for beginners
• Mold making to bronze casting instructor for beginners
SKILLS
MIG, TIG, stick, and gas welding, metal fabrication, furnace engineering and operation, teaching, mold making, plaster casting and molding, public sculpture installation, masonry and concrete casting, blacksmithing, basic carpentry, art handling and installation, lawn, land, and trails maintenance/grounds preservation
EXHIBITIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS
2019 Steering Committee Exhibition, Back Forty Brewing Co, Birmingham, AL
2018 Resident Artist Ongoing Exhibition, Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum, Solsberry, IN
2017 In Iron We Rust, Nat’l Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and Practice, Birmingham, AL
2016 Intern Installment Series, Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum, Solsberry, IN 2015 Cast Iron Exhibition, Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum, Solsberry, IN
2015 International Sculpture Center Outstanding Achievement Award Nominee
2015 Erik Johnson Award Nat’l Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and Practice, Birmingham, AL
2015 First Tap/Hottest Metal Award Nat’l Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and Practice, Birmingham, AL
2015 Alloy, Lincoln Arts Project Gallery, Waltham, MA
2014 Sculpture All School Show, South Hall, Boston, MA
2013 The Sculpture Show, Student Life Gallery, Boston, MA
2012 Iron Corps, Student Life Gallery, Boston, MA
