The Northwest Stone Sculptors Association was founded in 1984 with the purpose of providing access to stone and stone carving tools and to promote stone sculpting in the Northwest.
The first meetings were held in the studio of Fremont sculptor Meg Pettibone, our Founder. Her dream was to revive the dying art of carving stone. Our first NWSSA Symposium was held in 1986 in the Methow Valley On the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains.
A Stone and Tool Directory was published around the same time, and was updated several times. Members began to exhibit together in various locations in Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Many of us also joined together for stone collecting missions harvesting stone from the Skagit Valley, the Columbia River Valley and from Vancouver Island.
We have since grown to include stone sculptors and associates throughout the western US, Canada, and other parts of the world. NWSSA is a nonprofit membership organization that received federal tax exempt 501c status in l995. Our mission is to nurture the community of stone sculptors by developing educational opportunities, providing a support system to members, and facilitating interaction with regional, national, and international communities.
