A Salem High School Senior is becoming the community’s newest “rock” star. Literally.
Salem High School Art Teacher Jane-Spencer Pierce is working to make Cameron Cornwell’s dream of learning limestone carving a reality.
SHS received a 5 ton piece of limestone from Indiana Limestone Company in Bloomington.
Cornwell said he called the limestone business in Bedford, with no luck.
“I originally called the Bedford limestone company and they said they didn’t have the equipment to cut a piece this big,” he said. “They referred me to Indiana Limestone Company and I asked them about donating it and they did. I’m quite excited about it and leaving my mark.”
“He intends to carve a lion on campus,” said Superintendent DL Reed. ”
I would like to give credit to Jane….she’s one of the most premiere art teachers around.”
Spencer-Pierce said she appreciated Cornwell’s attitude. “I always like when I see a person wanting to go a different direction. I like three dimensional and I like carving. I’ve got a couple of limestone carvers who I’ll bring up to talk to him.”
“I’m not very good at drawing and painting,” said Cornwell. “And she let me start carving. I asked her and she let me flourish and do that. I owe a lot of this to her.”
“When Cameron was a sophomore he was interested in carving. So he started carving,” said Spencer-Pierce. “I told him, ‘When you’re a senior, we’ll get a big limestone and put it on the patio and that would be his senior project. I asked him to make all the arrangements. Cameron took care of all this himself.”
The 10,000 pound chunk of limestone measure five feet by five feet by three feet. Cornwell is excited to get started on the project. He said he will work on the project whenever he can and wants to have it done by next May.
“I’ll be using an air chisel hooked to an air compressor, and a hammer and chisel,” Cornwell explained. “I hope to have it done by the end of my senior year. Probably have him sitting up like the one here in front of the school, or the one in front of the bank in Salem.”
The chunk of limestone was delivered to the school this morning by Raymond Bryant of
Temple and Temple. The School’s custodial staff also helped get the block of stone set in place.
When finished, the Lion will remain at the school for display.
