The seventh annual Stonework Symposium, organized by the Stone Foundation, will be the first one to take place outside the U.S. It will be co-hosted by Artifex Balear, a school of stonemasonry on the Island of Mallorca, just off the east coast of Spain. The event is expected to welcome stonework enthusiasts from around the world.
As with all Stone Foundation Symposiums, there will be interesting and informative presentations and demonstrations by experts in several aspects of stonework -- as well as lively discourse, hands-on activity and camaraderie.
Given the expense of travel and the range of experiential opportunities available, the symposium, normally a long weekend in duration, will unfold over the course of six days.
There will be a major focus on the craft of dry stone masonry, including a workshop as well as an ongoing demonstration by Malloran dry stone margers (masons). Other areas to be explored are: the vernacular architecture of Spain; the Basque provinces and Portugal; the stonework of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca and Minorca; the stonework of Japan; the stonework of India; the stonework of Israel; the Dolmen culture of the Western Caucus Mountains; the principles of Stereotomy; and the evolution of the medieval stonemasons’ guild into its present-day form in France, les Compagnons du Devoir.
The Stonework Symposium is set for September 24 to 29, and the Dry Stone Walling Workshop will take place from September 17 to 21. Registration fees for the Stonework Symposium are 450 Euros for members and 475 Euros for non-members. Fees for the Dry Stone Walling Workshop are 450 Euros, and a flat fee for both workshops is 700 Euros. For registrants coming from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, a substantial discount is offered in consideration of the higher transportation costs. They may pay the same amount in U.S. dollars, a significant savings.