Bloomington-based Indiana Limestone Company is proud to sponsor the Canadian Stone Carving Festival July 22-24 in Perth, Ontario. Some 40 sculptors and stone carvers will participate in the event, which provides an annual opportunity for the public to interact with artists who work in stone.

The festival, a part of the Masonry program at Algonquin College/Perth Campus, is scheduled concurrently with the city of Perth’s 200th anniversary Homecoming Weekend celebration. Danny Barber of Smith and Barber Sculpture Atelier, Inc., Ottawa, said the town was selected in part because its rich architectural heritage displays many examples of historical stone carving.

“We’ve modeled the event after European stone carving festivals,” Barber said. “Every carver works from a cubic-foot block of stone – 7-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ x 15″. They use only hand tools to create a work of art, in most cases during just 18 or 20 hours during the festival.” Visitors can meet the artists and watch them at work.

“This nurtures fellowship in the group, and fosters public awareness of stone carving,” he said. The festival is not a competitive event. Works produced over the weekend are offered at auction, with proceeds benefiting such charities as Habitat for Humanity Canada.

Barber says festival officials love the versatility and high-quality Indiana Limestone provides. “Limestone is one of the nicest to work with,” he said. “It takes detail really well, and it’s not too hard to carve. Their buff is an especially nice color. Limestone’s been carried forward from North America to be used everywhere around the world.”

It’s a great pleasure to support this event, which showcases the talent of stone carvers from Canada, the U.S. and Europe,” said Duffe Elkins, Indiana Limestone Company COO. “We believe that sharing the excellence of our stone for carving will encourage its use in many situations where designers and architects might otherwise specify cast stone substitutes.”

For more information on the Indiana Limestone Company, visit www.indianalimestonecompany.com.