FOUNDER and DIRECTOR

Mark Saxe was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts.  He was drafted into the army as a young man, and served his country in Vietnam. After his discharge, he traveled extensively in Europe and discovered his love of stone.

Mark attended Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, on the GI Bill, receiving his MFA and then teaching. Next came a 3-year apprenticeship with a stonemason in Massachusetts before moving to New Mexico to begin his career as a sculptor.  

After meeting his wife, ceramist Betsy Williams, in 1999, together they turned Mark’s long-time dream of stone carving classes into a reality in 2001. In 2005, they opened Rift Gallery adjacent to the stoneyard. Mark is a 2023 recipient of the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. Learn more about Mark and see his work on his website: www.marksaxe.com

LEAD STAFF MEMBER

Petro Hul has been working with stone for over forty years, as both a sculptor and a stonemason, becoming well versed in the use of traditional tools and techniques as well as more contemporary approaches with saws, grinders and diamond tools.  He has been teaching workshops and classes for over twenty years, yet continues to see himself as a student of stone and is continually trying to improve his craft.  In addition to his experience with stone, Petro has worked as a foundryman for fifteen years. He ran the sculpture department at Rutgers University for five years and was a staff sculptor at the Digital Stone Project. In his sculpture, Petro melds his passion for stone with his love of canyon country and the natural world.  His latest sculptures reflect his interpretations of the geology of the southwest and the canyons of the greater Four Corners area.

Learn more about Petro on his website: www.petrohul.com

LOGISTICS

Betsy Williams is co-director of the workshops. A full-time ceramist and director of Rift Gallery, she is the behind-the-scenes organizer of the workshops, taking care of planning and details.

See more about what Betsy does the rest of the year on her website: www.enbistudio.com

Fred X. Brownstein lived and worked in Italy from 1975 through 1991, when he and his wife, artist Stella Ehrich, moved to Vermont. During 16 years in Italy, Fred studied figure drawing with Signorina Nerina Simi in Florence and was an apprentice for four years in the marble sculpture studio of Enzo Pasquini in Querceta, where he learned the traditional Italian carving techniques from two master craftsmen, Vincenzo Donati and Sirio DeRanieri. His fourth year was spent as a “smodellatore” working for Signor Pasquini carving copies of classical sculpture. In 1980, Fred opened his own studio in Querceta. Upon returning to the US, Fred set up his own studio, where most of his work is done on request for either public commissions or private clients, although he occasionally has time to create new sculpture for sale or exhibition. Fred has extensive teaching experience and is committed and passionate about sharing his knowledge. We are honored to welcome Fred back as the Guest Instructor of our August session in 2021. Learn more about Fred on the Stone Carvers Guild website or on www.fredxbrownstein.com

Nick Fairplay apprenticed at the age of 16 at Chichester Cathedral. He graduated from the City and Guilds of London Art College and then traveled on scholarship to Rome to study art and architecture. He was the lead stone carver at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine where he taught a cadre of young people to carve. Nick is known for his teaching talents, mastery of technique, and voluminous knowledge of the history of stone carving and sculpture. He lives in Oberlin, Ohio, where he owns Fairplay Stonecarver. Visit his website to learn more: www.fairplaystonecarver.com

Joseph Kincannon spent five years as an apprentice carver at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, then served as the lead stonecarver there for an additional six years.  Joseph and his wife, Holly, now live in Savannah, Georgia, where they own Kincannon Studios, specializing in architectural and sculptural stonecarving. Joseph is currently Chair and Professor of Heritage Masonry and Stone Carving at the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Joseph brings more than thirty years of carving experience to the workshop.  He has been our Guest Instructor many times over the past 20 years and with good reason:  his ability to convey information; his uncanny talent for making stone move like flowing water; his sense of humor, personal humility, and dedication to the art and craft of stonecarving; and a uniquely generous spirit. Learn more about Joseph on his website, www.kincannonstudios.com and www.acba.edu/joseph-kincannon

Special GUEST ARTIST Kazutaka Uchida from Tokyo, Japan, imparts his exquisite aesthetic to the stone in the manner of his friend and mentor, Isamu Noguchi. He brings over 40 years of stone sculpting experience to bear as he unlocks the inner beauty of the stone, giving workshop participants a rare opportunity to work with a world class artist.

Visit his website.