The Last Apprentice - Lecture & Social

Known as “The Last Apprentice” in the stone and sculpture community, Richard Rhodes documents the ancient art of stone masonry that he first learned in Europe’s oldest masonry guild—dating back to the 13th century.

With the guild’s dissolution in the mid-1990s, Richard wrote his recent book, Stone, Ancient Craft to Modern Mastery out of a sense of responsibility to record this deep-rooted craft or else let the knowledge be obscured—or worse, lost completely.

In his lecture, Richard discusses challenges and triumphs from his career as an apprentice, stone mason, and sculptor. He not only details the principles of stonework, but also illuminates—as renowned critic Paul Goldberger observes in the book’s Forward—the transcendent quality of stone as humanity’s longstanding building material.

5:15pm-5:45pm: Refreshments

5:45-6:45: Lecture

6:45 to 7: Q&A

7 to 7:30: Refreshments, informal discussion, and book signing

1 AIA Learning Unit