valley bronze gallery & foundry

joanw715

Fascinating to learn about the process of creating huge bronze art work. This is a world class operatiionn.

ronaldl719

We scheduled a tour the day before and were pleasantly surprised with the history and the making of some bronze pieces that come from this seemingly small operation. The town is filled with gorgeous Bronzed pieces - almost on every corner of the downtown area. Amazing!

Jim&Jane

We visited Joseph for a couple of days in early November. Not at all crowded like summer. We stayed at the State Park Campground. We took the tour at Valley Bronze Foundry. It was an excellent experience (1 1/4 hour, $15 ea) This was as good as anything we have done in terms of museums or art, except maybe the museums in Paris. You really get a great understanding of how the bronze artwork is fabricated. We saw a 14' tall revolutionary war statue being made as well as a bobcat about 12 feet long. Stunning craftsmanship. We both loved the tour.One thing that is confusing when in town is mixed information about the tours. Everything we saw said call for an appointment. But we later learned in talking with someone at the gallery that this company does tours everyday at 11 am. Even though there were only 2 of us they still did the tour.

493RobertS493

The wife and I decided to spend the $15 each for this tour and were not disappointed. I never realized what a terrific amount of time and work was required to cast bronze. From the smallest to the largest bronze pieces craftsmanship is the driving factor. Our lady tour guide was great, she is a local who works in the Foundry and is very proud of it. One fellow ask her what they would do if a particular mistake was made while casting and she replied "we never have that mistake because we are the best", I believe her. It was very educational to walk among the different bronzes at each step of their creation. They were casting four huge Lynx Cats while we were there and I was amazed at the detail and how these were put together. Would love to have the money to buy some of the work that comes out of this Foundry.

gohuskies2

This tour in the "outskirts" of Joseph takes about an hour and costs $15. It is well worth the time and money. We have admired bronze-work for years but have a new appreciation following this tour. The life-size sculptures are particularly impressive. Follow-up the tour with a walk around Joseph to see the installed bronze statuary on almost every corner. The gallery affiliated with the foundry is also worth a stop.

Sister246

On a rainy day, this was a perfect activity. It was very interesting to see how bronzes are made. It makes you appreciate the artistry of all the people working there who translate an artist's vision. The tour at the foundry is only offered at 11 a.m., when the working staff go to lunch.(The gallery on the main street was closed.) Photos are not allowed. There is a fee, which is pricey,as are the souvenirs, which I didn't buy because I thought they were a bit costly for me, but they are made right there and I appreciate that people have to make a living. I enjoyed it. I would even go back if someone I was traveling with wanted to see it.

Schmelvin

This was a terrific tour of the foundry and the gallery of art work the foundry produces. Malcom does a great job as a tour guide and it's evident he enjoys his work. The process of making bronze statuary is amazing and interesting. The entire process is explained in a video and guided tour. The foundry and gallery are located I the tourist friendly town of Joseph. A very worthwhile stop.

vintagetrailer

The valley has become home to lots of artists. Seeing how bronzes are really made is fascinating. A quality place making quality art that is really fun and informative. You are beginning to see there stuff all over the US.

deanneseyfert

While I've always loved the beauty and creativity of bronze artistry, I had no idea how much work was involved from beginning to end. The video at the gallery and tour of the "unassuming" foundry by our tour guide was fascinating, informative and helpful in understanding bronze art. This is not a factory that churns out bronze pieces; it's a small town business with local craftsmen and artists to create each unique piece of artwork. I now understand why the cost is so high, and have a greater appreciation for this beautiful art.

BreadmanSanAntonio

My wife and I have often admired bronze statues but never understood the process. The tour of Valley Bronze filled that gap nicely. We both found the tour educational and insightful. Almost made me want to take up sculpture. Well worth the time and modest fee.

288ericm

This was the highlight of our day in Joseph. The tour guide was very knowledgable and answered a myriad of questions from our group. It was so cool to see how they produce bronzes. The work that they do is absolutely incredible - they even did quite a bit of bronze work for the World War II monument at Washington DC recently! The wildlife art was exceptional and many items are availabe for sale in their showroom. There are large bronzes up and down the main street in Joseph that are Valley Bronze's work. The "Attitude Adjustment" bronze of a cowboy on a horse is the best bronze I have ever seen!

TravelinGal2010

Joseph, OR is known for its bronze foundries and amazing sculptures found all over town. We visited the gallery and also took the foundry tour. The gallery is filled with bronze sculptures ranging in size from miniatures to more than life-sized. There are also paintings and photography by local artists and photographers. Our foundry tour began with a 15 minute video about the bronze casting process shown at the gallery. We then drove several blocks to the foundry where we were able to actually see the process step by step, culminating in seeing sculptures ready for shipping.Valley Bronze is world famous for their work. The attention to detail that occurs in the casting process was impressive, as is the talent of their employees.

kolekona

If you are passing through Joseph you really need to stop here. The sheer volume of creativity on display will almost overwhelm you. The pieces range from traditional western sculptures and paintings to some pretty abstract and intriguing stuff. The fellow running the place is extremely informative and friendly and will provide background on most of the artists.