By Gwen Sour
For The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Parkersburg – The Geppetto Woodcarvers Club hosted its annual “Carving on the Porch” event Saturday at Woodcraft, bringing together members and visitors to demonstrate woodcarving techniques, display finished pieces and encourage new people to try the craft.
Club secretary Patrick Wentzel said the event is the group’s largest of the year and gives the public a chance to see what members do.
“Well, (Saturday) is one of our — really our biggest event — and it’s dealing with carving on the porch,” he said. “We all bring our carvings, and it’s kind of let everybody see that wants to see what we’re doing, trying to advance our carving process and try to get more people in.”
Members displayed a variety of projects during the event, including relief carving, chip carving, staffs, canes and carousel horses.
“I do carousel horses,” Wentzel said.
Club president Roy Holliday said woodcarving is the kind of hobby that can quickly become a lasting interest.
“It’s just something that draws you to it,” Holliday said. “It’s something you — once you get into it, you just don’t want to quit.”
The people in the group are part of what keeps members involved.
“People are really nice,” Holliday said. “And the fellowship amongst our members is great.”
Wentzel said the club provides opportunities throughout the month for people to carve, learn and meet other woodcarvers.
“We carve here every Wednesday, and then we also carve here the third Saturday of every month,” he said. “And then at the museum, second and fourth Tuesday evenings.”
According to information provided by the club, the Geppetto Woodcarvers Club was founded in 1990 by a small group of woodcarvers who wanted to share their interest in learning and advancing the hobby. Over the past 30 years, the club has grown and expanded its outreach in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
The club partners with Woodcraft to hold meetings and carving sessions at the store and with the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History in Parkersburg to hold carving sessions at the museum. Club members are available to help new woodcarvers interested in learning more about the craft.
Members also highlighted service projects, including carving staffs and canes for veterans. Dale Lott showed several pieces with interchangeable carved heads, including designs such as an eagle, squirrel and Santa.
“These are mine,” Lott said. “I just plug them in — all these heads — so you can interchange them.”
The group has given away many of the carved staffs and canes over the years.
“The fifth year, we gave 140 some away,” Lott said. “We had 139 at the end of the year last year, and we gave 12 away so far this year.”
Lott said additional pieces are planned.
“We’re gonna get 10 more,” he said.
The club also supports the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program through a community service project. Members carve Christmas ornaments, with proceeds from sales providing Christmas gifts for children in need.
Another project discussed Saturday is tied to the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Members are working on a series of blocks representing different periods in American history.
“We divided 250 years up,” one member said. “So you have random people who have, like, 1776 to 1810, and they have to carve something for that period all the way through to the end.”
The Geppetto Woodcarvers Club meets for carving sessions from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Wednesday at Woodcraft; from 6-8 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Blennerhassett Museum; and for a club meeting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month at Woodcraft.
Membership is $20 per year per family.
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