Woodcarving club to host their annual show

Woodcarving club to host their annual show
Submitted

David Chapman created this wood carving. He serves as secretary and treasurer for the club.

                        

The Wilderness Center in Wilmot will host myriad classes, activities and events. Among their offerings will be the woodcarving club. The woodcarvers annual show will be held Sept. 15 and 16 at the center. Saturday hours for the show are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4:30 p.m. The event is free.

The group is devoted to every type and style of woodcarving imaginable and is open to all. “The annual club membership is $1,” said David Chapman, secretary/treasurer. “But you must be a member of The Wilderness Center.”

Woodcarvers in the club range in age from teenagers to 80s. Skill levels run the gamut from beginner to nationally recognized master. Areas of specialty are as varied as the members themselves.

Founded in 1984, the woodcarvers club has a current membership of 23. “Our club members travel from seven surrounding counties here in Northeast/Central Ohio,” Chapman said.

“I really enjoy the camaraderie,” said Juanita Bowers, who has been in the group for 33 years. “Carvers are so friendly and willing to share their knowledge.”

Bowers discovered the club in 1985 when she went to one of the earliest annual club shows. “The show consisted of only one table and three carvers,” she said.

This year’s annual show promises to be quite a bit larger. The family-friendly event will include live demonstrations including two local chainsaw carvers who will be on site Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

There will be a wide variety of carved items on display. Some of these will be for sale. The two-day event also will include hourly door prizes, a raffle and People’s Choice voting by attendees for the top-three carvers. Food will be available for purchase.

John Robinson has been a member of the club for 30 years. Robinson said, “There aren’t many sports where you can sit down and ask a question and get an answer. Golfers or pitchers or whatever, they have their specialties and they keep those a secret, whereas a woodcarver shares it. It’s the old way to do it. There are no trade secrets.”

The annual show has often been the catalyst for new members to find the group. Club President Keith Shumaker has been in the club and carving for 18 months. He discovered the hobby at one of the club’s shows. “I enjoy the fellowship with members of the club and promoting the art of woodcarving,” he said.

Duane Henderson has been carving for 30 years. He joined the club when he retired. “The club is fun,” he said. “You meet interesting, knowledgeable people. If you’ve got something you can’t do, they’ll teach you how to do it.”

For the woodcarvers, a large part of the appeal of the craft is in the focus involved and the transformation that takes place with the wood. “I like to create something out of a plain piece of wood to make it come alive,” Henderson said.

Tom Dryden has been in the club for 18 years and said his favorite thing to create is always the next project.

Ken Grigsby has been carving for eight years and joined the group 18 months ago. He appreciates being at the level of expertise where he can now share his skills. “That’s probably the big thing for me now: to share the knowledge I’ve gained with others,” he said.

Jon Jansen is 15 and came to the club with his dad. He joined six months ago. Jansen echoed a sentiment of many veteran members. “It’s relaxing, and I enjoy learning from other members,” he said.

One of the early members, Wanda Wentling, won a ribbon the first time she took a carved duck to the world championship. “I didn’t know anything about how the competition worked,” she said.

In 2012 Wentling was inducted in the national hall of fame for mountain artisans.

Paul Bowers is currently focused on a project he hopes to enter in the Wayne County Fair: a 3-foot cowboy.

Each month the club tackles a group project. For one of those projects this year, they carved sporks for Operation Christmas Child.

The club will host a beginning wood carvers class for age 13 and up every Saturday morning in October from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Club members will teach the class. The $30 fee will include a carving knife. Sign up by Sept. 29 by sending a check to The Wilderness Center Woodcarvers, 9877 Alabama Ave. SW, Wilmot, OH 44689, or stop by in person or call for credit card registration.

At the same time on Saturdays, Oct. 6 and 20, there will be a free soap carving class for kids age 8-12. Registration for each class is limited to eight with one class per student. Call or email to register by Sept. 29. 

Everyone is welcome at the club meetings that are held the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from 9:30-11:30 a.m. All classes and meetings will take place at The Wilderness Center.

Call The Wilderness Center at 330-359-5235 and find them online at www.wildernesscenter.org.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load