• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar

New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Adirondacks & NNY
  • Capital-Saratoga
  • Mohawk Valley
  • Hudson Valley & Catskills
  • NYC & Long Island
  • Western NY
  • History
  • Nature & Environment
  • Arts & Culture
  • Outdoor Recreation
  • Food & Farms
  • Subscribe
  • Support
  • Submit
  • About
  • New Books
  • Events
  • Podcasts

Utica’s Henry DiSpirito: Stonemason to Sculptor

June 7, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Henry DiSpiritoHenry DiSpirito (1898-1995) was an Italian immigrant who came to Utica, NY, in 1921 from Castleforte, Italy. He settled into the heavily immigrant populated neighborhood of East Utica and found work as a stonemason/bricklayer; a trade he learned from his father. Through his work on a Works Progress Administration (WPA) art project creating dioramas and subsequent study at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute, he found his calling in direct carving in stone.

The Rome Historical Society will host “Henry DiSpirito: Stonemason to Sculptor,” a virtual program looking at the life, art, and experiences of DiSpirito in Utica, NY, set for Wednesday, June 16th at 7 pm. This talk will be led by Ashley Hopkins-Benton, and will focus on DiSpirito’s immigrant experience, and its impact on his art.

Ashley Hopkins-Benton holds an MA in History Museum Studies from SUNY’s Cooperstown Graduate Program and a BA in Studio Art and Art Education from SUNY Potsdam. She is now Senior Historian and Curator at the New York State Museum and has done extensive research on Henry DiSpirito’s life and legacy.

This program can be viewed live on the Rome Historical Society’s Facebook page. For more information, call (315) 336-5870 or visit their website.

Portrait of Henry DiSpirito.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: Arts, Events, History, Western NY Tagged With: Rome Historical Society

About Editorial Staff

Stories written under the Editorial Staff byline are drawn from press releases and other notices. Submit your news to New York Almanack here.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Support Our 2022 Fundraising

Subscribe to New York Almanack

Subscribe! Follow the New York Almanack each day via E-mail, RSS, Twitter or Facebook updates.

Recent Comments

  • Bob Meyer on Poetry: Cabin Pantry Discovery
  • Raphael Riljk on The Sinking of the S.S. Normandie at NYC’s Pier 88
  • Christian on Orange County Man Ticketed After Killing Rattlesnake
  • ABSS314 on Orange County Man Ticketed After Killing Rattlesnake
  • Evan Barnett on Catskills Resort History: The Beginning of the End
  • Evan Barnett on Catskills Resort History: The Beginning of the End
  • Eva Barnett on Catskills Resort History: The Beginning of the End
  • ARNOLD on Catskills Resort History: The Beginning of the End
  • Kim Campbell on Civil War Albany Rises To Action
  • Dave Waite on Alfred Billings Street: Albany’s 19th Century State Poet

Recent New York Books

The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton
vintage babes of broadway book
Mission Begin With Blood
Special Delivery book
killing time in the catskills
the soft city book
occupied america
stewards of the water
off the northway

Secondary Sidebar

preservation league
Protect the Adirondacks Hiking Guide