Stonemasonry Artist Residencies with Drystone Joe

Since 2004, I have been leading artist residencies in public & private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Working with teachers, administrators, staff, other teaching artists, and parents, I plan and conduct successful stonemasonry artist residencies. I readily match content area & state standards to the craft of stonemasonry. Often, I will ask to be placed with the grade level and content area that most needs a boost based on testing. Furthermore, I prepare detailed lesson plans for each day of a residency. I use stonemasonry as a way for students to explore math, science, art, social studies, and language arts. Many of my lesson plans involve UNESCO World Heritage Sites that are made of stone. As a result, students are able to gain understanding of stonemasonry from a global, culturally inclusive perspective.

Math components of stonemasonry include measuring angles, calculating volume and calculating weight. Science components of stonemasonry include geology, the physics of friction and gravity, archeology, and astronomy. Art components of stonemasonry include design, colors, commonalities and differences in the creativity exhibited globally, and shapes. Social studies components of stonemasonry include history, cultural traditions and innovations. Language arts components of stonemasonry include stories, oral tradition, and writings.

In addition to classroom components, most artist residencies  include the design and construction of a permanent stone landscape feature on the school’s campus. As a result, host schools gain an educational stone landscape feature such as a compass rose as part of a residency. Other possibilities include markings on campus of specific times and events such as winter solstice, which corresponds with winter vacation, spring equinox, which corresponds with spring vacation, and summer solstice, which corresponds with summer vacation. Sundials carved in stone can also be designed to help mark the all-important times such as recess or school dismissal.