Miami Smelter Artisans Craft “Copper Coral” for National Mining Association

January 9, 2024 - The artisans at Freeport-McMoRan’s Miami, Ariz., smelter recently created a “copper coral” sculpture and custom display case that were donated to the National Mining Association and now adorn the organization’s lobby in Washington, D.C.

The copper casting was done by Victor Melendez, Supervisor, Smelter Operations, and Rafael Anaya, Smelter Operator II. Melendez learned the technique from a former supervisor in 2013 and has produced more than 100 pieces of the artwork since.

It’s a delicate operation to turn the 2,100-degree molten copper into a coral-like sculpture. The metal base must be prepared and heated to a certain temperature, and then thin pieces of charcoal are added to give the work its shape, Melendez said. Just the right amount of metal must then be poured into the mold, or it will collapse into a vase-like glop rather than the delicate fingers of the finished work.

It takes about six to eight hours to produce, most of that time spent removing the charcoal mold without damaging the spires of the copper. While a lot of artistry goes into the creation, Melendez said it’s just something he does when someone requests a pour for various special presentations.

“It’s just work,” he said.

In this case it was Michael Kendrick, President-Climax Molybdenum, who requested the creation to donate to the mining association. Martin Redondo, Smelter Carpenter, built the wooden base and mounting.

“It was a true team effort,” said Mark Albertsen, General Manager-Miami. “I call them our arts and crafts department as we get periodic requests for copper splashes and the limited, rare copper coral.”

Photos (clockwise): The copper coral artwork produced at Freeport’s Miami smelter is now on display in the lobby of the National Mining Association; The artists who created the copper coral sculpture on display at the National Mining Association are (from left) Victor Melendez, Martin Redondo and Rafael Anaya; Creating a copper coral display requires hours of meticulous work involving molten metal; Victor Melendez uses molten copper to create the unique “copper coral” sculpture.