A MOCA 4-day beginners’ gravestone preservation workshop is scheduled for June 13-16 in Newcastle, Maine. These are highly anticipated workshops which fill up fast!
Joe Ferrannini of Grave Stone Matters, Hoosick Falls, NY leads this intensive, four-day beginners’ workshop. The workshop is a rare opportunity to learn about gravestone preservation and practice new skills through hands-on experience.
Learn how to:
- Straighten leaning stones
- Reset fallen stones
- Build and rebuild bases
- Repair broken stones using specialized epoxy
- Infill
- Use a tripod for resetting monuments
- Ensure that what is happening in your local cemetery is safe for the stones
*NOTE: One day cleaning workshops will be offered later this summer for those primarily interested in proper assessment and cleaning of gravestones.*
We start with a very informative classroom session on Friday morning. After lunch we will go to the cemetery for a walk-around assessment. In the following days, Joe will cover how to cast a new base; how to mix and work with stone-specific epoxies and soft mortars; clamping, setting, and lifting techniques; and much more. Every workshop is different as you never know what we will run into as we start work.
Participation is limited to
those who have not participated in a
previous MOCA four-day workshop.
Each day is a unique hands-on experience, but you can also attend the four days as an observer. Ideally participants will attend all four days, as important and varied instruction happens every day. Note that we cannot predict what activities will happen on which day, as instruction is based on what damage is encountered as we work in the cemetery.
There is no registration fee for this workshop. However, our MOCA Workshop Committee urges workshop participants to donate as generously as they are able to help cover workshop expenses of about $4,000 for the weekend. Any funds collected in excess of program expenses will be reinvested into the MOCA workshop fund.
Donations will be accepted each day of the workshop.
Checks should be made out to MOCA.
Our goal is to promote the use of correct materials and practices when working in cemeteries and to encourage workshop participants to share the skills they learn.
