Stone Carvers Guild Podcast

Send us Fan Mail For generations, Trow & Holden has been synonymous with stone working tools in North America. In this episode, Joel, Matt, and Bethany talk with Jordan Keyes, Trow & Holden vice president of sales and business development, to explore the company's remarkable history, from its beginnings serving Vermont's granite industry to becoming a trusted resource for sculpto...

Send us Fan Mail Stone carver Jim Larson joins the Stone Carvers Guild Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on craft, philosophy, and the practice of working in granite. From his unconventional entry into carving to large-scale public sculpture and granite work in the Northeast, Jim shares insights on tools, mentorship, and the idea of “embodied practice.” The discussion also explores the inter...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Stone Carvers Guild Podcast, hosts Bethany Lee, Matthew Johnson, and Joel Penhorwood sit down with longtime letter carver and calligrapher Janey Westin. Janey calls Minnesota home and began her career as a professional calligrapher in 1985. Her love of letters naturally led her into the world of stone carving. Over the years, she has expanded her work beyond...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Stone Carvers Guild Podcast , we’re joined by Kierk Ashmore-Sorensen to discuss his work with The Alberene Foundation and its mission to preserve and advance traditional stone carving, specifically through the history of the The Alberene Soapstone Company. Learn more about Kierk and his work at www.industrialstone.com and The Alberene Foundation at www.theal...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of the Stone Carvers Guild Podcast sits down with renowned architect Michael Imber. The trio of Bethany, Matthew, and Joel talk with Imber about his unique approach to architecture that often utilizes stone carving and traditional practices. Learn more about Michael at his website here. The Stone Carvers Guild Podcast is a production of the Stone Carvers Guild. Learn...

Send us Fan Mail Matthew Nunn, known as @marginedmallet on Instagram, is a dry stone craftsman with a deep rooted passion for the craft, its history, and education within traditional stone masonry. In this ongoing series regarding stone carving related fields, he joins hosts Bethany, Matthew, and Joel to talk about his unique line of work and shares lessons he has found along the way. Learn more a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Simeon Warren discusses his well-rounded stone carving education in England gained by working at Lincoln and Wells Cathedral. Theresa interview then diverges into thoughts about integrating new technologies into carving. We wrap up with Simeon’s story of how he and others founded the American College of Building Arts in Charleston, SC. The Stone Carvers Guild Podc...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode of the Stone Carvers Guild Podcast, Bethany, Matthew, and Joel sit down with architect Steve Mouzon of The Original Green to explore his unique philosophy on the role of stone in design. Known for his work in traditional architecture and sustainable building practices, Steve shares how stonework shapes his vision and why he believes it’s essential in creati...

Send us Fan Mail In this unique episode, Killian and Petra O’Flaherty join us from Ireland to discuss their lineage of stone carving, Ballyknockan (the “granite village”), and the importance of taking on apprentices. This is the Stone Carvers Guild's first internationally recorded podcast! Learn more about Killian and Petra's business at www.oflahertystone.com . The Stone Carvers Guild P...

Send us Fan Mail Myles Schachter of 2Sculpt joins the podcast crew to discuss his unique perspectives as a sculptor, supplier, teacher, and more in this eclectic episode. As a stone sculptor and a supplier of stone and stone carving tools, he operates a business called 2Sculpt based in Lawrence, Kansas, where he has a studio and offers workshops. Learn more at www.2sculpt.com. The Stone Carvers Gu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Stone Carvers Guild Podcast, Matthew and Joel mix things up by chatting with fellow stone enthusiasts from the Maine Stone Workers Guild. Guests Norman Casas and Sam Finkelstein share about their work, the mission of their guild, and give us a preview of the upcoming Rockland Stone Symposium happening July 14–26, 2025. It’s a great look at how the craft of s...

Send us Fan Mail In which Robin Antar sits down with Bethany, Joel, and Matt to talk realism, pop‑culture and storytelling in stone carving. Find out more about Robin's work at her website, www.robinantar.com. The Stone Carvers Guild Podcast is a production of the Stone Carvers Guild. Learn more about membership at www.stonecarversguild.org/get-involved/ . Learn more about the Stone Carvers G...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Matt and Bethany interview Ron Clamp, a third generation carver from originally from stone industry hotspot Elberton, GA and now residing in South Carolina. Ron has passed through many phases in his carving career, from monument making to sandblasting, digital designing, gilding, and running a traveling workshop. He heads Cornerstone Dimensional where he and his t...

Send us Fan Mail The conversation continues! In this part two episode, carvers from the two major training grounds of stone carvers in the US in the last 50 years - the stone yards of St. John the Divine in New York City and the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. - sit down with Matt, Bethany, and Joel and discuss their teaching methods and more. Nick Fairplay and Joseph Kincannon join us on be...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, carvers from the two major training grounds of stone carvers in the US in the last 50 years - the stone yards of St. John the Divine in New York City and the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. - sit down with Matt, Bethany, and Joel and discuss the ins and outs of working on such massive projects with far reaching impact. Nick Fairplay and Joseph Kincannon join...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Vermont stone carver Sean Hunter Williams explains how to work in granite, talks about getting diamond grinding tools in Italy, and tells how he returned to Vermont after art school to learn stone carving in his father’s studio (as well as how he stays warm there in the cold Vermont winters!). He also weighs in on the debate about hand tools vs. pneumatic tools an...

Send us Fan Mail Oleg Lobykin, Russian-born stone carver and artist, shares his knowledge about public monumental sculpture, restoration, sculptures in wildly varying mediums, training in the former USSR, and his experience learning as a young carver at St. John the Divine. His websites, referenced extensively in this episode, include www.lobykin.com and www.customstonecarving.com . The Stone Carv...

Send us Fan Mail In this Interview, Italian-trained, Vermont-based carver Fred X Brownstein gets into the nitty-gritty of replication using the pointing machine (machinetta) and the history of replication methods. He also discusses his own education in human figure sculpture at the studio of Nerina Simi in Florence as well as his current projects and contributions toward training the next generati...

Send us Fan Mail In this interview with Minnesotan carver Scott Halverson, the business of architectural carving is front and center. Scott and his business partner run a studio in Northeast Minneapolis and travel around the country restoring monuments. Of course, Scott had a long journey that ran through Texas and Europe in order to get there. Matt, Joel and Bethany discuss this with Scott alongs...

Send us Fan Mail In which Cary Shafer sits down with Bethany, Joel, and Matt to discuss the path to discovering oneself. The Stone Carvers Guild Podcast is a production of the Stone Carvers Guild. Learn more about membership at www.stonecarversguild.org/get-involved/ . Learn more about the Stone Carvers Guild at www.stonecarversguild.org.

Send us Fan Mail Sebastian Martorana, carver, illustrator, sculptor, teacher, and social media personality, discusses being an artist in Baltimore, his own formation through apprenticeship with stone carving veterans in DC, the relationship between illustration and carving, working with different kinds of stone including salvaged stone, how to gild lettering, and using Instagram to connect with ot...

Send us Fan Mail Texan carver Stuart Simpson shares about his journey from carving found stones   as a child to studying art at University to working with co-host Matthew Johnson at Texas Carved Stone (see Bob Ragan episode) to running his own studio.  Also included - comments on running a stone carving business, a carving for Jeff Bezos, and the reading of a review! Click here for more informatio...

Send us Fan Mail Join the trio for their conversation with Stephen Michael Bouska of Old World Stone Design in which they explore his unique background, in-depth knowledge of stone, and wide range of carving experiences. More about Stephen and the Stone Carvers Guild online at www.stonecarversguild.org . The Stone Carvers Guild Podcast is a production of the Stone Carvers Guild. Learn more about m...

Send us Fan Mail Franco Minervini joins hosts Bethany, Matthew, and Joel to talk his storied history in stone carving and some of his favorite projects over the years. Learn more about Franco and the Stone Carvers Guild online at www.stonecarversguild.org . The Stone Carvers Guild Podcast is a production of the Stone Carvers Guild. Learn more about membership at www.stonecarversguild.org/get-invol...

Send us Fan Mail Join Bethany, Matt, and Joel as they head to the studio of Dale Johnson of Old World Stone Carving in Ohio. For pictures of Dale's work and more about the Stone Carvers Guild, visit www.stonecarversguild.org . The Stone Carvers Guild Podcast is a production of the Stone Carvers Guild. Learn more about membership at www.stonecarversguild.org/get-involved/ . Learn more about th...