Submitted Photos Isaiah Rashad II returns to the fourth annual Fredonia Mini Maker Faire Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at SUNY Fredonia. Rashad will display his talents during live-sculpting demonstrations inside the Williams Center. People can visit dozens of makers between the Williams and Science centers.

There is a genuine sense of accomplishment when you’re able to produce something with your own two hands.

For stone sculptor and monument builder Isaiah Rashad II, ending the day with callused hands and a ringing in his ears is a day well earned.

“I sculpt using hammers and chisels, also known as the old way of carving and there is no better sound,” Rashad said. “It is a tedious venture, but one of harmony. My body hurts often after a day of carving, but well worth it.”

Rashad will join dozens of local and national makers for the 2019 Fredonia Mini Maker Faire set for Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The annual event, held between the Williams and Science centers on the Fredonia State campus, will welcome the return of popular attractions, Sherman CSD Sharpie Dyed Tile Coasters, Cider Press, Youth Fly Fishing, Robot Puppet and Mario the Maker Magician.

Several stations will feature free make-and-take opportunities for families while others will highlight the process behind creation. Finding inspiration to cultivate one’s creativity is at the forefront of Maker Faire.

“I got into the art of stone carving after trying to make a gravestone for my grandmother because I could not afford a gravestone for her,” Rashad said. “While making her stone, I fell in love with the craft and the meaning of the craft — as I saw it — the oldest craft known to man.”

For the past nine years, Rashad has carved nearly 600 pieces of work all over the country, including commissions by city, town and historical societies. In September, Rashad suffered a stroke which caused Bell’s palsy, but that has not deterred his drive to create.

“Since being released from the hospital, I have expanded the art of sculpting in stone to a degree that I could not imagine,” Rashad said. “I have been working harder to get the job done. Doing things from model making for monument, drawing in large scale, fabricating centerpieces and etching in granite.”

Over the next two years, Rashad is planning to create monuments for the City of Jamestown and Washington, D.C.

Rashad will be live-sculpting during Maker Faire on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information please visit www.fredonia.makerfaire.com or visit Maker Faire on Facebook @fredoniaminimakerfaire.