It may not be much to look at right now, but massive slabs of stone recently delivered to Red Deer College will soon be transformed into works of art.

The International Sculpture Symposium ‘Bergen Rocks RDC’ kicks off this week and runs through to the end of August.

Bergen Rocks has been held at the Morton Burke acreage in Bergen, Alberta for the past three years. About 2,500 people have dropped by to watch the venture unfold annually.

And starting tomorrow, organizers say more than 100,000 lb of stone will be crafted into “something beautiful” during the course of the event, which is described as being the only one of its kind in Canada.

“After participating in these types of events in Europe and Asia, I felt it was important to bring a similar experience to Alberta,” said Morton Burke, who has sponsored and ran this event since its inception.

“Starting Bergen Rocks at my home, and now growing it to its new venue at RDC is exciting and will help share the art of sculpture with more people,” he said. “This event reinforces my belief that with the right kind of support, communities can realize many benefits from the arts.”

The Symposium will be open to the public six days a week, and the event will wrap up with a closing reception Aug. 28 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Eight international sculptors have been selected (from almost 200 proposals) from the world’s sculpture community.

Artists will be arriving from China, Italy, Mongolia, Korea and Turkey.

Five of the completed structures will be taken to Morton’s acreage, while three sculptures will be shown in Red Deer.

“We’re excited to host this event in our newest venue,” said Joel Ward, RDC president. “And we look forward to welcoming hundreds of Central Albertans on campus to view the sculptures as they come alive.”

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