Page 34 - APRIL-2019_SlipperyRockGazette

34|April 2019 Slippery rock GAzette
Joey Marcella Receives 2018 Craftsman of the Year
Joey Marcella (Mario & Son – shown at right in the photo) has been named 2018 Natural Stone Craftsman of the Year by the Natural Stone Institute.
Joey Marcella believes that if you have integrity, are true to
your word, and are good at what you do, then the rewards will fol- low. His simple philosophy about the stone industry is “don’t chase the money, chase your passion.” Not only is Marcella an outstand- ing fabricator when it comes to all things stone for the residen- tial, commercial, and religious
buildings sectors, he is also a brilliant sculptor of museum and collector quality stone ob- jects that are in great demand in the state of Washington and beyond. He is as comfortable with a hammer and chisel as he is at the helm of a multi-axis CNC machine.
Marcella started in the stone industry as a teenager when he assisted his tile-setter father on jobs—and eventually joined him in the family business. When their company saw the demand for natural stone in the kitchen begin to boom, they expanded into countertops. The company recently began working with more cubic material producing altars for churches, fireplaces, and other wall features.
A foray into the world of sculpting came at the sugges- tion of Marcella’s father-in- law, who was on the board of directors of the local Museum of Art and Culture, which held an annual art auction. He has been sculpting and sell- ing his work ever since. Most of Marcella’s work has been sold, with the exception of two pieces, including Aura, the 2018 Grande Pinnacle Award winning project. Aura is on display in Mario & Son’s Liberty Lake showroom.
Marcella has shared his knowledge and been a leader within the industry through years of his participation in workshops, lectures, and fab- ricator roundtables. Looking forward, Marcella plans to im- merse himself into the interna- tional art scene, and has even been invited to intern at the renowned Massimo Galleni Studio in Pietrasanta, Italy, where he and his wife hope to establish a part-time residence.
To learn more about the Natural Stone Craftsman of the Year Award, visit www. naturalstoneinstitute.org/ craftsman.
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