North House is very excited to welcome stone mason Thea Alvin to lead a workshop on the shore of Lake Superior. Thea and her students will explore the possibilities of stone construction, a material for which there are few limits. During the five day workshop, the course will build a whimsical work on a nearby property. As a group, students will explore the mathematics of arch construction, dry stone walling, Fibonacci math and how it relates to installation art. The course will also cover patio building, retaining walls, pizza ovens, roof construction and vernacular reconstruction in Italy, and stone carving. The course will begin with an overview of Thea’s work and move on to build arch forms, draw and create a design plan and then install foundations and begin walling and building. Simultaneously, students will be working to build their own art creation. There will be a group show on the last day of the course.