One of the most striking aspects of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art is not found within its galleries, but in the grounds themselves. Winding stone paths, terraced gardens, meditation spaces, and rustic stonework give the impression of a remote Himalayan retreat hidden within Staten Island.
Yet behind this Tibetan sanctuary stood the labor and craftsmanship of a remarkable group of local builders, many of them Italian immigrants or the sons of immigrants. Chief among them was master stonemason Joseph Primiano (1895-1967), who worked closely with Jacques Marchais to transform her vision into reality.
Born in Vinchiaturo, a small town in the province of Campobasso in Molise, Southern Italy, Primiano immigrated to the United States in 1912 at the age of sixteen. Settling on Staten Island, he brought with him the skills and traditions of the old-country stonemason. Together with a team that included fellow Italian workers and craftsmen, he helped construct the museum’s distinctive buildings, terraces, stairways, and gardens, leaving an enduring Southern Italian imprint upon one of America’s most remarkable Tibetan cultural institutions.
~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 15th, Feast of San Vito
