Last weekend a group of GCA students visited the studio of stone mason
Chris Pellettieri. Chris Pellettieri is both a skilled craftsman and consummate artist, his original designs are combined with a commitment to flawless execution. He specializes in free-hand sculpture, decorative design, portraiture and lettering in both public and private settings. After receiving his BA in mathematics from
NYU in 1989, he began training at the Artida Atelier in New York in Italian techniques of sculpture and casting, before becoming in an apprentice 1990 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Much of his background is based on geometry which plays a major role in stonework, and he particularly appreciates the intellectual and physical challenges that stoneworking offers. He has numerous commissions for churches and individuals, and has taught workshops at The Museum of American Folk Art, the Cooper Hewitt and at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. This year Chris won the
Arthur Ross Award for Artisanship.
Chris Pellettieri in his studio
Chris Pellettieri splitting a block of limestone using tools that the ancient Egyptians would have used
Tools of the trade
Sculpture copyists use this tri-point tool to transfer measurements from original pieces to developing copies.
Angela Cunningham snapping a photo
GCA sculpture instructor Mason Sullivan
Some of the work the students saw in Chris Pellettieri's studio
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