Carnegie Visual Arts Center

If you have a piece of art from the Cast Iron Pour and want to protect it from rust you can season it like cast iron cookwear. If you have any burrs on your art, tap them off with a hammer before you start this process.

1. Wash art in hot, soapy water. Scrub off rust with brillo or steel wool. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely.
2. Apply a thin coating of vegetable oil or shortening (Crisco, for example) with a soft cloth or paper towel on all surfaces.
3. Preheat oven to 350º F. Place art on top oven rack.
4. Place foil on a cookie sheet and place on bottom rack of oven. This will catch any oil dripping from the art
5. Bake in oven for one hour.
6. Turn oven off. DO NOT OPEN. Allow art to cool down in oven (several hours).

If you would prefer to have more colorful art, you may paint it with oil-based paint instead of the seasoning process. Remember to completely cover the art in paint as any exposed surface will rust over time.