Every two years, Ferrisburgh Central School students have the opportunity to work with a visiting artist and create something special together. With all the challenges they faced in 2020 & 2021, the FCS community has shown tremendous resiliency and strength. This year’s artist in residency looked to build on that.

From Oct. 18-22, Vermont stonemason and artist Thea Alvin led FCS students and staff in a five-day, immersive process to design and build a sculptural stone wall and arch on school grounds. The sculpture they built featured a plaque dedicated to Loretta Lawrence, who retired in June after 40 years of service to the school as administrative assistant and so much more.

Students gathered at their new stone wall this past Friday afternoon and held a formal dedication of the sculpture with Lawrence there to accept the honor. The plaque adorning the new wall appropriately called Lawrence “Our Rock!”

AS PART OF a school project that lasted five days, these third-graders stack flat stones in front of Ferrisburgh Central School Friday to get experience building a dry stone wall.
Independent photo/Steve James

VERMONT STONEMASON THEA Alvin, an artist-in-residence at Ferrisburgh Central School last week, supervised and advised the school’s children as they built a dry stone wall.
Independent photo/Steve James

DURING THE DEDICATION ceremony Friday, Loretta Lawrence, center, stands in front of the arch with, from left, Ava Foster, Roxanne Griffin, Lawson Trombley and Alister Griffin.
Photo by Dylan Griffin