2019 Washington State Symposium

32nd Annual International Stone Carving Symposium
at Camp Pilgrim Firs, Port Orchard, WA 
July 6th-14th 2019

Guest Artists & Workshops: Large Scale Conceptual Public Art with Dale Enochs; Renaissance of the Figure Group Marble Workshop with Jason Arkles; Jade for Everyone with Dale Blankenship and Beginning Stone Sculpture in the DOJO with Ruth & Tamara

The Symposium 
We invite you to join us at Camp Pilgrim Firs for up to eight full days of playing with stone, communing with nature, and enjoying the camaraderie of fellow stone enthusiasts. Bring yourself, your creative energy, your tools, and a favorite rock (or four!). If you’re new to this whole thing and don’t have stone or tools, we have an entire space set up for beginners with tools and instructors.
The Campground provide cabins and lodges that are connected by serene walking paths through the forested grounds and three full meals a day, so you’ll have the ultimate freedom to delve into carving and building friendships. Evenings are filled with slideshows, informational talks, a riot of a fundraising auction, a music-filled final night party, campfires and even nighttime swims in the lake. Stone and tools are available for purchase by our vendors.

Sculpture Walk on the Meadow Saturday, July 13th
Our outdoor art gallery is a perfect opportunity to show your work in a supportive and appreciative environment. We encourage everyone to bring up to two finished pieces to display and to invite your friends! Bring pedestals if you have them. Additional smaller items are welcome, too. NWSSA receives a 20% commission on sculpture sales

Guest Artists and Workshops

Large Scale Conceptual Public Art – Dale Enochs
Dale Enochs has been working as an independent artist for over 35 years and has completed 28 public art commissions along with hundreds of other sculptures. He will be discussing and demonstrating concepts, methods, and fabrication approaches throughout the week with a particular focus on the process and techniques used to create contrasting textures that enliven the surfaces of sculptures. Works can be seen throughout Indiana including the Governor’s Residence, The Indianapolis International Airport and a sculpture plaza at the Indiana Statehouse.

Renaissance of the Figure Group Marble Workshop – Jason Arkles
Join Jason Arkles, figurative sculptor and voice of The Sculptor’s Funeral podcast in a workshop focused on creating a figurative marble work. The workshop provides a 10.5×10.5×13” 190lb block of Italian Marble and invites you to work with your favorite tools or experiment with techniques alongside other sculptors. Participants are asked to bring a pre-made maquette to hit the ground running. 
Limited to 13 so register early!
Update 5/8/19: Class is FULL, but anyone who wants to work figuratively is encouraged! Bring your stone and a maquette. Jason will be teaching pointing machines specifically so bring one if you want to learn that technique. 
Jason is an American sculptor, art historian, podcaster and author living in Florence, Italy. As a practicing sculptor, Arkles works on private commissions, specializing in portraiture in marble, but also producing figures and monuments in various media. His work is largely driven by a sense of narrative and psychological symbols. Since 2015, Arkles has given workshops, lecture tours and other educational programs in ateliers and institutions around the world.

Jade for Everyone! Dale Blankenship
Our jade workshop returns with Dale Blankenship as our instructor backed up by Steve Sandry. The workshop provides a shared workspace with all the tools necessary to create a small jade sculpture.A small selection of precut jades will be for sale touse. Class limit is 10 people, so register early!
Self-taught jade carver Dale Blankenship hasbeen sculpting jade for forty years. Though a non-professional by choice, Dale has acquired competition awards from the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies, American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Gem Carvers Guild of America, World Jade Symposium (Vancouver, B.C.), Zi Gang BeiJade Exhibition (Suzhou, China) and other local exhibitions.

Beginning Stone Sculpture in the Dojo – Ruth Mueseler and Tamara Buchanan
Our beginners workshop provides space, stone, and instruction on carving and safe tool usage, including access to the extensive NWSSA tool library.
Ruth is a conglomerate of art education teacher, silversmith, art foundry worker and 29-year stone carving veteran. Her heartfelt work ranges from miniature to monumental.
Tamara has been sculpting for over 30 years. Featured in many shows throughout the West, her work has won several awards. She loves sharing the process of carving and also teaches at her studio on Lopez Island.
Click here to learn more about participating as a beginner at our symposium

Workshop and Event  Schedule

Our Vendors
Neolithic Stone – Carries a wide range of sculptural quality stones & tools from around the world. 604-736-5201 or www.neolithicstone.com.
Carolyn Anderson’s Magic Fingers – Restore Alignment and health to stressed muscles. 360-698-2198.
Bronzestone – Various sizes of polished granite bases. www.bronzestonebases.com
Kentaro Kojima – Hand crafted masonry tools from the famous Kondo blacksmith shop in Japan

Field Mentors
Most of our members have years if not decades of experience and have worked with various types of stone. If you desire individual guidance or support, field mentors will be available. If you are interested in being a field mentor, please contact the Director. All parties gain from the experience of sharing information.

Special Thanks
Marenakos, Concut Diamond Products, Master Wholesale, 4Culture and the staff at Pilgrim Firs.