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My work site. Instructor Scott Owens set me up here and said that
New Mexico sculptor Allan Houser carved at this site.
30 July 2001: This image (above) is of Kelly using a diamond blade (air-powered) on Colorado Yule Marble during MARBLE/marble Stone Carving Symposium.
Photo by (sculptor) Marla Samuels
31 July 2001: New my friend, sculptor Vasily Fedorouk of Seattle (and Ukraine),
poses with his belly dancer commissioned marble carving.
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The following article appeared in the February-March 2002 issue of The Third Dimension, the newsletter of the Texas Society of Sculptors.
Not Just Another Workshop
by Kelly Borsheim
Last summer I attended the MARBLE/marble (stone carving) Symposium in, you guessed it, Marble, Colorado. Since it is registration time for the Summer 2002 sessions, I thought I would share some of my experiences there with you. First off, let me just mention the ONLY negative comment that I have ever heard about the symposium. "It's too expensive," I was told. (This year each session costs $850, a recent - and necessary - increase.) But after attending MARBLE/marble, I am impressed with what they accomplish for that price!
First of all, we're talking 8 solid days of working - not 5! This includes 2 lectures or demos per day and often an activity at night. The space itself is incredible - up in the mountains, right next to the beautiful Crystal River. There's enough privacy for the amount of noise and dust all the carving creates, yet the place is open to tourists, so you even get a chance to market your work! And one afternoon, we toured the Yule marble quarry up in the side of a nearby mountain. During my visit, one young sculptor, Sarah, sang in Italian, "O Del Mio Dolce Ador". I was not the only one who felt completely moved as her angelic voice filled the cavern of the quarry.
Second, the tool shed is a gem. I had only carved the soft alabasters and limestone before, so diamond blades and air-powered tools were completely new to me. And the water-cooled, diamond-tipped core drill was awesome! I was taught how to use each tool safely and had complete access to whatever I needed during my session. We were able to work as late as 10 p.m., although I only took advantage of that one or maybe two nights. Each carving site (over 60) had its own air hose and access to electricity, all of which exists in these mountains only during the course of the 3 summer sessions. In addition, several tool suppliers set up tables for a couple of days to give us a chance to buy even more tools or just see what was available.
Third, there are not just several key instructors at work, but many assistants and veterans who help as well. The staff is so eager to share what they know and they have real enthusiasm for stone and the work we are all doing. One thing that surprised me was the number of attendees who were professional sculptors. I signed up for MARBLE/marble thinking that, like most workshops, I would go and learn what I needed to learn and never go back. But MARBLE/marble is called a symposium for good reason. There is a comraderie there that I never expected. Experienced and non-experienced carvers come together every summer to share their work, new techniques, and some really good times.
Fourth, the followup is tremendous. After the summer sessions were over, I received a packet in the mail that included a letter thanking me for attending, a group photo taken on day 1 of the session I attended, the names and addresses that each attendee submitted so that we could keep in touch, AND a list (including contact info.) of all the suppliers of just about every tool or resource a stone carver would ever need.
Not to mention the fact that your tuition buys you a piece of Colorado Yule Marble that weighs about 500 pounds! Most workshops do not include supplies like this! Once you select your stone, it is moved to your workstation with a forklift and setup for you and before you leave, you have help loading the stone into your vehicle. I saw that several of the veteran carvers had ordered larger stones ahead of time and actually worked on commissioned pieces.
Other fringe benefits include an opportunity to exhibit your stone work nearby at The Redstone Art Center. And yes, they DO sell sculpture there! And, if you are the "earthy" type, free camping is available on-site (first-come, first-served). I took advantage of this and I highly recommend it. There is a small kitchen on the site (with a big marble table and benches), as well as access to showers. There are other places to stay, which you are given information about upon registration. The nearby Raspberry Inn is wonderful.
After carving (if you have the energy), you can do plenty of hiking, biking, and other stuff in the area, too. In conclusion: I cannot imagine a better value than the MARBLE/marble Symposium. And besides the fact that stone carvers need some GOOD Texas salsa (and I am NOT talking Pace brand) at the potluck dinners, do you really need any more reasons to leave Texas during the heat of July?
For more information about MARBLE/marble, please contact The Marble Institute of Colorado; P. O. Box 481743, Denver, CO 80248-1743 or contact Madeline Weiner at 303-297-1429. You may also register online at the Web site: http://www.marbleinst.org
See Kelly's bronze of the maquette from her MARBLE/marble 2001 project.
For more information on MARBLE/marble, please click on:
The Marble Institute of
Colorado
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