Better Than The Magic School Bus… Artist Drives Love of Casting Into Community

Described by some as a modern-day Ms. Frizzle, the eccentric, fun-loving teacher in PBS’s “Magic School Bus” kids show from the ’90s, Minneapolis artist Sara Hanson has converted a metro transit city bus into a W.O.W. (Workshop on Wheels) Mobile Metal Lab and Show, which she takes to all kinds of public venues, from schools, libraries, and fairs to corporate events, non-profits, museums, parks, and more. 

Her demonstrations and hands-on activities are aimed at educating and celebrating personal expression through the cast metal process. Having renovated the bus herself, Hanson incorporated 14 work stations, running water, and a small mobile foundry for visitors to make metal creations.

In a “Minnesota Daily” article, Hanson told reporter Maya Marchel Hoff that constructing the bus was not her only obstacle––next was the issue of driving it around a busy metro area.

“When I got the bus, I thought ‘this is never gonna happen.’ I’ll have to hire somebody to drive it,” Hanson said. “But now I do it alone. It’s my most proud thing, and I feel so empowered. I feel like this is a reflection of how casting metal can be empowering. Like transforming metal and realizing that you did that with your hands.”      CS


kids on bus