Carousel Project to Host Open House in January

Contact:            Bonnie Macdonald

                        Cultural Arts Administrator

                        (423) 392-8416

                        BonnieMacdonald@KingsportTN.gov

 

 

Valerie Joh

                        Carousel Task Force Publicity

                        vjoh@brphomes.com

 

                       

 

Carousel Project to Host Open House Thursdays in January, 10 AM – 7 PM

 

 

Kingsport, TN  --  The Carousel Project Taskforce will host a series of open house receptions from 10 AM to 7 PM in their new studio on Thursdays in January 2011 at Lynn View Community Center, 257 Walker Street in Kingsport, TN.   The Carousel Project is an initiative of the Kingsport Public Art Committee.  The Carousel Project will work to carve 35 unique animals and to establish a working antique carousel in Kingsport.  Reggie Martin is chairman of the taskforce and one of several carvers working on an animal for the carousel.  "For the past few months we've been working on setting up a carving studio in several of the rooms of the Lynn View Community Center, "explained Martin.  "Now we are ready to invite the public to take a look.  We need lots more volunteers to carve, sand, paint plus we are happy to explain the project to folks who would just like to learn more about the history of carousels."  In April the Carousel Project will present a workshop for carvers with Bud Ellis, owner of Horsin' Around Woodcarving Studio in Soddy Daisy, TN.

 

The "Golden Age of Carousels" in America, so called because of the large number of carousels built, only lasted two decades - 1905-1925.  During that period carousels dotted the American landscape.  Today, a number of the "Golden Age" carousels have been restored and operate at various locations around the country. 

 

The first horse of the Carousel Project Liberty arrived in Kingsport in November.  Liberty is hand-carved by Dave Sheppard of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee who has carved other animals for Chattanooga carousels at the 'Horsin Around Wood Carving Studio' operated by Bud Ellis.  Meanwhile four local "horse men" are already well underway with their carving at a new workshop in the Lynn View Community Center.

 

The Kingsport Carousel Project began as a vision of the late Gale Joh, who grew up in New York State in a town which once had two carousels. Today, the vision is a joint effort of community volunteers assisted by the Cultural Arts Division of Kingsport. 

 

"My husband very much wanted a carousel for Kingsport," Alderman Valerie Joh said. "The town he grew up in had two of them and he really wanted one for Kingsport. He took the idea to his Kiwanis Club, and never let it drop. This effort is a real act of love towards Kingsport and a tribute to Gale, but it can't happen without the volunteers who already are working on it. And we need a lot more volunteers to come forward too."

 

Each horse can take up to 400 hours to carve, and the "Four Horsemen" currently at work carving horses for the carousel include Reggie Martin, Milton Nelson, Ted Heilig and George Gibson. All four have completed a course at the Horsin' around Woodcarving School in Soddy Daisy to learn the craft.  "These men have just given a tremendous amount of their time and treasure to this effort," Joh said. "But we do need the whole community to get behind the project."

As many as 35 animals will be needed to populate the antique carousel, which is expected to be located near the Farmers Market on Clinchfield Street.  Not only are additional carvers needed, but sanders, artists and painters, mechanics and machinists, electricians, carpenters and woodworkers to build other features and volunteers to help plan and fundraise for what is a community-led project.

To get involved or for more information on the project call the Cultural Arts office at 423-392-8416. 

 

Public Art in Kingsport is housed in the Cultural Arts Division of Kingsport Parks and Recreation and is overseen by a citizen committee appointed by the Mayor.  The Carousel Project is funded in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission's Arts Builds Community grant program.