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NWSSA Testimonials

NWSSA & Pratt Fine Arts Center

by Doug “DJ” Jennings
Doug Jennings with his alabaster carvings
I retired a few years ago and wanted to get back into stone carving. I found tremendous support and advice from folks at both the Northwest Stone Sculpture Association and Pratt Fine Arts Center. Here is a quick summary:

My first stop was Portland for an exhibit of MJ Anderson’s work. I brought a couple of my small alabaster pieces and went to the “meet the artist” event. I waited until MJ was free and nervously showed her my pieces. She liked them and asked me if I was familiar with NWSSA. I said no and she told me they were just about to start their annual symposium at Camp Brotherhood.
Sabah Al Dhaher, carving with kids in the Stone Yard at Pratt Fine Arts CenterThe next step was to join NWSSA and try to sign up for the symposium. Ben Mefford and Renee Roberts were very helpful and I was able to attend on very short notice. I was in the “Beginners Tent” overseen by Tamara Buchanan and Ruth Mueseler. They were incredibly supportive as well as many others at the event. Then Tamara told me about Pratt Fine Arts Center, where she taught. I joined and have been taking classes there from Sabah Al-Dhaher ever since and have had great encouragement and assistance from him and many others at Pratt.

Many NWSSA members attend and/or teach at Pratt. Teachers include Tamara Buchanan, Cyra Jane Hobson, Leon White, and maybe some others I missed. NWSSA Members who attend Pratt classes are too numerous to list. If you have not yet been to Pratt, you are in for a treat – the Stone Yard is a wonderful covered outdoor work space with all the tools, work tables, compressed air, and power you need for carving. In addition to Stone Carving, Pratt offers classes in painting, printing, jewelry, glass, foundry, carpentry, etc. They also make the studios available for a daily or monthly fee.

Jonathan Goff, carving at Pratt Fine Arts Center  Leslie Butterfield Carving at Pratt Fine Arts Center  Staci Adman carving at Pratt Fine Arts Center

So, now that I am settled into a happy schedule of carving, I want to thank everyone from both NWSSA and Pratt who aided me along the way - everyone mentioned above and many others.

Happy Carving,
Doug “DJ” Jennings



Pratt LogoPratt Fine Arts Center https://www.pratt.org/
Located in Seattle’s Historic Central Area Arts & Cultural District near Pratt Park.
1902 South Main Street
Seattle, WA 98144
Phone: 206.328.2200
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Let's Meet Luke Nalker

Editors’ note: In the spirit of connection, and because our 2018 Symposiums are over and there is not as much opportunity to get together during the rest of the year, we’d like to use the Journal to introduce ourselves to each other. Each issue will have a photograph of one or two newer members and how they heard about the NorthWest Stone Sculptors Association (NWSSA.) 

How did you hear about NWSSA?

luke nalker

I discovered NWSSA when visiting the Seattle Japanese Gardens where they were hosting a soapstone carving class. I took a flyer and later checked out the website where I was excited to learn about the upcoming symposium at Pilgrim Firs. I needed a vacation badly, and I thought, "What better way to release stress than hammering stones in the woods for a week?" It turned out to be much more than I expected. I'm very thankful to have found "my weirdos," a community of the most kind, sharing and generous people I've ever met, who introduced me to a new passion in life. I'm excited about seeing everyone again next year!

Luke Nalker


 

Let's Meet Grant Bowman

Editors’ note: In the spirit of connection, and because our 2018 Symposiums are over and there is not as much opportunity to get together during the rest of the year, we’d like to use the Journal to introduce ourselves to each other. Each issue will have a photograph of one or two newer members and how they heard about the NorthWest Stone Sculptors Association (NWSSA.) We begin the new “Let’s Meet…..” feature with Jeremy Kester.

How did you hear about NWSSA?

Grant Bowman

"In April of 2017, the pop-up stone sculpture gallery "SKULPT" came to Oak Harbor. I was on a road trip with my now fiancée exploring Whidbey Island and by sheer chance, stumbled upon the gallery. At first, I remember being enthralled with the different types of stone and simply trying to identify each rock. It was not until I saw the "Voice of God" (by Lane Tompkins), with twenty different mouths carved into it, that my own mouth dropped. I asked a rather rambunctious Canadian man, John Lafortune, how the piece was made. Four glasses of wine later, I walked out with a soapstone bear carving kit and a promise to attend the Camp Pilgrim Firs Symposium. Two years later I now look back on that serendipitous day and am filled with gratitude, for not only did I discover a new love, but a new family."

Grant Bowman

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


... Jeremy Kester

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