Notable Sculptors of Barre Gray Granite

Currently showing at the Vermont Granite Museum

This exhibit starts with a nod to the history of the Granite Industry in Vermont. With the extension of the railroad to Barre in 1875 a marketplace was opened for civil war monuments and building materials made of durable and beautiful Barre Gray Granite. Business flourished! The Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 included a stall for Barre Gray Granite and its reputation bolted into international fame. Highly trained and educated sculptors were recruited from Italy and Scotland and the Golden Age of Barre Gray Granite came alive. The artists' skills, their passion, and their pain set the stage for modern day sculptors. The photographs of the Quarry at Millstone Hill and the monuments carved for Elia Corti and the Bursa family at Hope Cemetery are meant to show the standards set for all the generations of sculptors to follow. 

The Photography Exhibit continues with the work of 6 notable Sculptors who are both keeping the traditions alive and moving the work forward in innovative ways. Public Art, Monument Art and Installations continue to flourish - though in different ways to the early 20th Century. 

These photographs are offered to bring attention to the story and heartbeat of each of these sculptors. They bring life to the hard inanimate rock of Barre Gray Granite. 

The Notable Sculptors include: 

Giuliano Cecchinelli

Gary Sassi

George Kurjanowicz

Heather Milne Ritchie

Ryan Mays

Chris Miller 

I am specifically an iPhone Photographer using my iPhone 11 Pro as my current camera. I have been a long time Cannon photographer, but I wanted to be able to take spontaneous photographs in a non-threatening manner. I have found that my iPhone is the camera that is always with me ready in an instant to capture an image that attracts my photographer’s eye. I prefer to work on long term projects, so this photo essay on the Notable Sculptors of Barre Gray Granite captured my attention – and my heart. I also teach iPhone Photography for those interested.

Enjoy exploring the work of these notable sculptors.

Details of their Work

A PRACTICE IN Chasing THE LIGHT

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Evening Light in Woodstock, Vermont

I woke up last week to a world I didn't know. It felt to me a dark and fearful place.  Civility a distant memory. 

So how was I to navigate the storm raging within me and in the world around me? 

As a photographer chasing the light has been my place of heart and has given me the images and memories I most enjoy.  

So I picked up my camera - my iPhone camera - and went searching for the light on a dark Vermont day. 

I took several photos in the streets of Woodstock. I looked both ways, on both sides of the street, and standing in the middle of the street too. Finally, I stood still at the curb, attracted to the leading lines of the crossroad. I waited. I waited for the light to appear in the sky and in the road. I was delighted by the starburst in the lights approaching me and snapped the shutter. 

Almost instantly, my mood lifted and I saw the half light in a dusky storm. The act of chasing the light was weaving its magic. With that press of the shutter I awakened fully and my direction became more clear.

It's why I take photos. 

It's the light that matters in photography and in life. And for me the two are interwoven. 

Where is your light? What do you see?

I welcome your comments. 

Photo taken with my iPhone 6. Snapseed is my go to editing app.