Brick Bonds

Families of bricklayers have shaped the landscape of Westchester and the Lower Hudson Valley for more than 200 years. Their mark is all around us – in our homes, music halls, aqueducts and places of worship. In this workshop, participants will learn about the rich history of bricklaying in the region, will explore the structural significance and aesthetic beauty of various brick bond patterns and joints and, with professional guidance from Westchester bricklayers, build a wall by using introductory masonry techniques. The program will be led by men who represent three generations of the Cantamessa family, as well as brothers Mike and Pete Clifford, the Rockland and Westchester Field Reps for BAC Local 1 Union. Wear casual clothing and appropriate footwear (no open-toed shoes). Part of ArtsWestchester’s Brick by Brick exhibition.

Contact Aaron Paige with questions: apaige@artswestchester.org

Online RSVP encouraged.

Sponsors

Participating Artists/Groups

Everett Cantamessa (BAC Local 1 / first generation) has worked as a stone mason in Westchester and Putnam Counties for 47 years. His family came to New York from northern Italy, where is grandfather’s work as a mason included quarrying, cutting, shaping and setting stone. He began his career at the age of 14 when he apprentices with his father in Mt. Vernon.

Erik Cantamessa (BAC Local 1 / second generation), a Tech teacher at Putnam Northern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), began formal training as a mason at age 18.  He teaches masonry through the Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Union, and through the BOCES program at the Putnam Northern Westchester Technical Center.  He has worked on numerous large-scale projects in the region, including IBM buildings in Somers and the reservoir system Pumphouse in Yorktown Heights.

Mason Cantamessa (BAC Local 1 / third generation)

Mike Clifford (BAC Local 1 Bricklayer Field Rep for Rockland and Orange Counties)

Pete Clifford (BAC Local 1 Bricklayer and Field Rep for Westchester and Putnam Counties)