Posts tagged poultney

It’s not every school where you can see chickens free-ranging on the lacrosse field during a practice, but Green Mountain College isn’t every school. During a recent visit to Poultney, Vermont to lecture and instruct a walling workshop at the college I discovered a vibrant educational community that’s leading the way in environmental studies. The eight students I worked with were a ready and willing group. They quickly grasped the concepts and principles of dry stone wall construction and jumped right into building. By the end of the afternoon they had laid up a 24 foot long section of retaining wall using slate cut-offs from a local quarry/fabricator.

Dry Stone, Dry Stone Walling, Stone, WorkshopDan SnowApril 22, 2011art, dry stone wall workshop, gmc, green mountain college, lecture, poultney, slate, stone, stoneworks, vermont

Art and the Working Landscape

Cultivated land is a handmade environment. Over the past two centuries, the rural face of Vermont has been shaped by farm life. While the stone walls built during that time have lost their stature as livestock fences, their presence has become a defining characteristic of the land. A dry laid stone wall, that has stood the test of time, is praised for its practicality, durability and craftsmanship. The close attention farmers pay to their surroundings is comparable to the awareness artists bring to their work. As a medium of expression, dry stone construction is a logical choice for an artist working in the landscape.

Art, Environmental Art, Nature, Land Art, Sculpture, StoneDan SnowApril 15, 2011art, dry stone wall workshop, dry stone walls, environment, green mountain college, lecture, poultney, stone, stoneworks, vermont, workshop