Story on Hector Santos by Cassie Horner, Vermont Standard, July 13, 2000. (Thank you to VT Standard for permission to reproduce).

"I didn't sleep last night," reported Hector Santos on a recent Monday morning, standing next to the upright granite slabs of his latest public sculpture behind the Unitarian Universalist Church. "I didn't know how the stone would set." For years, Santos has been maneuvering stone for the practical purposes of walls, patios and walkways. Stone is rarely just practical, however, with its inherent aesthetic appeal. Every piece is individual, and has to be placed and handled individually by the mason. "About three years ago, I decided to take what I do as a stonemason to a different level," Santos reflected.

This is his second project. (He built his first sculpture on Charlet Davenport's property as part of last year's Sculpture Fest.) The idea for an installation at the church took shape quickly. "The whole thing came about in one weekend," Santos said.

He talked to Davenport who suggested that he approach the Unitarian Universalist Church about a public spot. "I was by the river on a beautiful morning with Mount Tom in the background," he recalled. He picked out stone at Moulton Construction in Lebanon, then did a "bunch of drawings. Finally, I got up the courage to go the Universalist Church (with the idea.)" The church is giving the space and Santos is donating the materials and labor.

The sculpture, a semi-circle of 2 1/2 to 4 1/2- foot granite blocks facing the church, was created for the site. "I designed it around the church. I needed a design that would be fitting with the church," Santos explained. The blocks are set closely enough so they cast shadows on each other, and he is linking them together with thin strips of copper pipe. When he showed the design to his fiancÈe Amelia Rappaport, she described it as "embracing." The piece is called "Embrace."

"The backbone of what I do is rock work-patios, walls," Santos observed. The functional aspects of that work spill over into his other art. "I design sculpture as a space, not just an object," he said. "I create an environment where people can read, meditate or just hang out." The sculpture-in-progress is intended to have "kind of an altar effect." A bench in front of it will invite people to come close and stop.

Setting the granite blocks (the big stress factor for Santos) took place with the help of Bob Teeter and a logging truck crane from Maplecrest Farm in Woodstock. Teeter and Santos headed out to pick up the stone early Monday morning and three hours later, the placement was complete. The project went so well because of teamwork between the two men. Teeter operated the crane with precision and delicacy to match the directives of Santos in getting the stones just so. This was the first time they'd worked together. Teeter acknowledged when the job was done that he had worked in marble for four years at Vermont Marble.

"Embrace" will be complete by Aug. 1, in time for the Church Fair. The public is welcome to check out the site, while its in process and once it's done. It will be part of the Sculpture Fest this Fall. Santos likes the idea of public sculpture in Woodstock and wants to see the trend continue.

The spot down by the river is graced with ferns and other greenery, and is partially shaded. Santos hopes that the mix of sun and shade will encourage the growth of lichen and moss on the stones. The copper will also change with time for new effects.

"This is supposed to be here forever as far as I know," he said pensively.

--Hector Santos, drawing for "Embrace" (detail)

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"Festival Gives Sculptors Space," by Melissa MacKenzie, Rutland Herald, September 18, 2000. (Thank you to The Rutland Herald for permission to reprint this article.)

No signs mark the presence of "Sculpture Fest," a unique, annual outdoor exhibit of mostly large pieces on Prosper Road, just off Route 4 in West Woodstock.

Signs are not necessary.

"The people who need to come here, come here," says Charlet Davenport, a ceramic sculptor and painter who runs the event each year with the help of her husband, Peter, on their property.

This is postcard country, with rolling hills and trees and horses in the fields. The sculptures are sited pretty much everywhere, some in a small garden near the Davenports' clapboard farmhouse, others on the surrounding lawn or adjacent open fields. More sculptures can be found at the edge of the woods, or by a pond or farther up the hill.

"It started as a way to raise money for the Vermont Council for the Arts, but the amount of money going to the artists was small," said Davenport.

As a remedy, Davenport came up with the idea of inviting artists to exhibit for free on her land for six weeks. The artists were allowed to choose their own sites.

There was, and is, no admissions fee. The public is simply allowed to view - and buy, if they see something they can't live without. Small white cards are displayed near each work noting the artist's name, the name of the sculpture and the purchase price. Otherwise, the exhibits are unlabeled.

Davenport also provides an informal, black-and-white catalogue in a box beside the driveway, containing a brief summary of the artists' styles and sometimes a picture.

"It's pushed a lot of artists towards creating larger pieces. Ordinarily, it's difficult to find a place to exhibit anything big," Davenport said.

Now in its 11th year, the outdoor exhibition has become a place where people come and hang out, or picnic, often with small children, as well as a destination for out-of-state collectors.

Last week, with no advertising except a few posters and small notices in the media, about 300 people showed up at the opening reception of "Sculpture Fest 2000," to view the different styles and subjects of nearly 30 artists.

Playfulness is well-represented, alongside the serious. An arrangement of compost thermometers, taking the temperature of the earth, is provided by Bo Gibbs of Woodstock, a landscape designer. "Pink I Think," a series of pink ceramic squirrels mounted on a tree, is the work of Gail E. Richards of West Lebanon, N.H.

The hands-down children's favorite is "Stretch," a rope "path," designed collaboratively by Davenport and Peter Blodgett, that must be walked barefoot or in sneakers, with ceramic pots hanging just out of reach to either side. The pots are filled with Peruvian-inspired clay disks as prizes. Participants must stretch with care to get one, or fall to the ground, a distance of about a foot.

Prices range from $65 for one of Erik Rehman's haunting "Chrysalis" sculptures, peasant bodies suspended in husk-like shells, to $12,000 for Hallowell's realistic metal "Eagle," or up to $15,000 for a Santos stone creation.

Business is good. Among recent sales: "Horse," a metal sculpture by Joseph Fichter, $10,000 and "Llamas," three brightly colored metal figures by Joe Hallowell, $1,850