The International Sculpture Symposium movement was spearheaded by Dr. Karl Prantl in Austria in 1959. This initiative grew from the need to facilitate communication and exchange between members of the international sculpture community. The first international sculpture symposium took place in an abandoned stone quarry. Sculptors from around the world joined together to produce permanent pieces of public artwork from local stone, a dynamic which would provide the model for many symposia to follow.

Spearheaded by US sculptor Jesse Salisbury, Maine’s Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium held its first event at the Acadia National Park on the Schoodic Peninsula in 2007. There are now thirty-four sculptures along the Maine coast.

In 2012 the New Brunswick International Sculpture Symposium held the first symposium in Atlantic Canada under the name Sculpture Saint John. Sculpture Saint John has plans for five biennial events that will result in a Canadian sculpture trail of thirty-eight large-scale sculptures by 2020.  The two trails through Maine and New Brunswick connect, creating a unique international contemporary art exhibition of large-scale granite works by world-renowned sculptors.

Through our symposiums, we provide residents in Southern New Brunswick with access to affordable art education in the form of workshops, demonstrations and provide an opportunity to witness the artists at work on our Sculpture Saint John symposium site.

We train up and coming New Brunswick emerging artists through a fully immersive artists in residency program during which they learn the art of stone sculpting from experienced professional sculptors. The apprentices assist the artists with their pieces on site, gaining valuable insight through hands on learning. This program provides these emerging artists with invaluable advice, mentorship, and friendship with Canadian and International sculptors.

As an organization, we educate New Brunswick youth by visiting priority neighborhood schools in Saint John to educate children about the benefits of public art in their communities. This includes conducting interactive sculpting workshops at local youth agencies in Saint John as well as organizing the busing of children from schools in Southern New Brunswick to our symposium site.