New feature story: "Colorado's Marble Motherlode"
Where else would you hold an annual marble-carving symposium but in a town called Marble, founded to mine a particularly white form of this stone? Our Winter issue begins with a trip to the source.
Dear Friends,
Welcome back, and happy new year to all! We’re excited to bring you the first story of our new Winter issue, “The New Stone Age,” which will highlight some of the artisans and innovators in stonework, and in other crafts. But first and foremost, we would like to heartily thank the many readers and fans who responded to our call for donations. We have some great new stories and other projects in the works for 2023, and we couldn’t keep doing what we do without your support. So thank you, and thank you again. (And if you haven’t donated but would still like to, it’s not too late — you’ll find a Donate link below, as well as on our website.)
Our first story of the year takes us deep into Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, where an old marble-mining town, abandoned and revived many times over the last 125 years, is enjoying its latest Renaissance, in both industry and the arts. For three weeks every summer, Marble now hosts a kind of “summer camp for sculptors,” who are drawn to its hoard of glittering white stone.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading our latest feature, “Colorado’s Marble Motherlode,” and the sidebar on “Marble’s Mountain Workshop,” both written by Denise Moss. Throughout the new issue, we’ll be releasing a feature story, short article, mini-documentary, photo essay, or podcast each Friday — a mix of offerings that relate to our mission, to “create a world built to last.” Along with stories that relate to our issue theme, we’ll also have works on other topics, so please, stay tuned.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read, watch, or listen to within our pages. We always welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Be well,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship Quarterly
Winter 2023: The New Stone Age
When humans first embarked on their incessant quest for innovations, they began tinkering with little more than the rocks and stones at their feet. The Stone Age endured for more than 2 million years, and the stonework remains of ancient civilizations — from the Megalithic Temples of Malta to Stonehenge to the Great Pyramids — continue to awe and fascinate us today. Throughout the world, stone is still quarried for use in grand monuments, memorials, and much more. In this issue, along with other topics, we highlight some modern-day devotees of this timeless, prehistoric material.