The Power of Stone

The Power of Stone offers a glimpse into the life of renowned stone artist, Lew French, during the time he was working to create the Rose Styron Garden for the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. At first, Lew French appears as unyielding as the granite he works with, but beneath this artist’s rigid exterior is a deeply spiritual soul. Though he wakes up at 4am to meditate every day, Lew struggles to quiet his mind. In stone, Lew finds that which he longs for: stillness. As one friend put it, “Don’t be tricked by the idea that he’s a stone mason. He’s sort of a philosopher, artist, spiritual guide who’s working with stone.”

This behind-the-scenes look at Lew’s process of creating his first public work— the Rose Styron Garden—takes viewers from a granite quarry in New Hampshire where Lew shares insights into his stone selection to Brazil, where Lew has spent 20 years creating the most singular expression of himself in the remote mountains of the Atlantic Rainforest.