Sophie Bettman-Kerson was born in Berlin, Vermont. She first tried carving with Joe Fictor, art teacher at the Putney School, in 1991. Enjoying the experience, she pursued study with B-Amore, Eric Oberg, Niso Maman, Shawn Devaney & the Studio da Sem in Pietra Santa, Italy in 1999. She studied sculpture at RISD, returned to Vermont in 2003 and attended the Stone Arts School of the Vermont Granite Museum of Barre. Completing a Vermont Folklife Center Apprenticeship in the Traditional Arts, Sophie worked as a full time studio sculptor in the summer and fall of 2006. She is currently a consulting sculptor.

Sophie finishing a pair of lambs in the spring of 2006.

George Kurjanowicz was born in Poland, but is of Russian descent. Most of his childhood was spent in Reading, Pennsylvania. Before getting his BA in Fine Arts from Albright College in 1977, also in Reading, he served in the United States Marine Corps for three years. He enrolled in Kutztown State College, in Kutztown Pennsylvania, in its art education program, fulfilling all credit requirements short of student teaching. George applied to the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, Poland and was accepted. After five years of study, he received an MFA in sculpture in 1983. George Arrived in Barre, Vermont in 1984 and met Frank Gaylord. He worked with Gaylord for two and a half years carving granite and casting models. George left Frank in January of 1987 and established his own studio. After a year of renting space next door to Frank, he was accepted as the in house sculptor at Peerless Granite Company in Barre, Vermont renting there for eight and a half years. In July of 1996, George moved his studio to Desilets Granite Company in Montpelier, Vermont. There he was able to expand his business and hired three sculptors to assist him. He is currently the in house sculptor at Adams Granite Company in Barre, where he has been renting since February 2004. In 1998, George was accepted as a voting member in the Barre Granite Association.

Alan Frascoia, a Barre Vermont native, grew up within earshot of the local granite quarries. Having completed a Vermont Folklife Center Apprenticeship in the Traditional Arts under the tutelage of studio head George Kurjanowicz, Alan became a full time sculptor in February of 2001, a position he held until the summer of 2002. He enjoys recreating the traditional religious sculpture that Barre is famous for as well as pursuing his own creative vision. Alan is currently associated with the studio as a consulting sculptor.

Alan working on a carving of Praying Hands.