UMaine Hosting Sculpture Symposium Workshop for Teachers

The Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium (SISS) will host a workshop for Maine teachers on Saturday, April 28 at UMaine. This biennial cultural event will bring eight internationally recognized sculptors to the University of Maine campus this summer to create stone artwork for permanent display at area locations.

Saturday’s workshop will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 107 of the Donald P. Corbett Business Building. The day’s events are free and open to the public, but tailored specifically for teachers in a variety of subject areas who want to learn how to integrate SISS activities into their teaching and enhance curricula.

Teachers from kindergarten through grade 12, and those in areas such as art, science, math, social studies, language arts and cultural studies, are welcome.

Jesse Salisbury, the SISS art director, will present a slide show of portfolios for each of the eight sculptors participating in this year’s symposium, discuss the historical background of Maine’s quarries and the quarrying industry, and present works from the 2007, 2009 and 2011 symposia. Daniel Lux, a faculty member in UMaine’s Department of Earth Sciences, will speak about the history of Maine granite.

Former SISS sculptors Mark Herrington of Franklin and Jim Boyd of New Brunswick will discuss their experiences in the symposium. A panel of teachers who participated in education programs through previous symposia will also speak about their experiences.

There will also be a tour of the UMaine art department’s sculpture studio as well as demonstrations and meet-and-greet opportunities with UMaine sculpture faculty members.

Lunch will be provided by the SISS board of directors.

To RSVP or for more information, contact Jane Weil at (207) 546-2269 or jweil@myfairpoint.net.

This year’s symposium will be held July 22-Aug. 30 and is a partnership between SISS and UMaine. UMaine will receive two sculptures that will be located on campus, and the University of Maine Foundation will receive another sculpture. The other groups receiving sculptures are the cities of Bangor and Old Town, the town of Orono, Husson University and Acadia Hospital.The sculptors will work during their six weeks at UMaine from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days of the week in the steam plant parking lot off College Avenue in Orono. The site is free and open to members of the public who want to watch the sculptors at work.

Contact: Jessica Bloch, (207) 581-3777 or jessica.bloch@umit.maine.edu