Club Background

Mission Statement: The goals of the Cape Fear Woodcarvers Club are: (1) to bring folks together for the encouragement and enjoyment of the art of woodcarving and expand our appreciation of other art forms, (2) to assist in the growth of each individual carver regardless of skill level by providing personal assistance and facilitating the availability of outside instruction, and (3) to develop a comraderie of the entire club through such concern, support, and encouragement of each member.

In addition to growing membership, the club has expanded in its members' range of carving interests and skill levels. At any regular Thursday morning meeting, you will observe carvers working on fine detailed bird sculptures, stylistic natural finished woodcarvings, cariactures, plaques, fish, decoys, relief panels, flowers, decorated walking sticks - and the list goes on. Members' skills range from beginner to advanced carvers who have won awards in major competitions at the international, regional and local levels.

The main focus of the club is on skill development. Beginner projects and instruction are available to those who want to try their carving skills. The club also schedules carving programs of various lengths (one day to one week) taught by skilled club members or outside, nationally recognized, experts.

Workshops have been held on the carving and painting of a saw whet owl, painted bunting, screech owl, bluebird, yellowlegs shorbird, duckling, rainbow trout, and a Moorish Idol tropical fish. Other programs covered relief carving of the 12 Days of Christmas, decorative walking sticks, creating habitats for mounting sculptures and techniques for burning feather details. Renowned wildlife sculptor, David Turner, recently conducted a weeklong workshop on sculpting in clay.

Planned programs include methods of sharpening carving tools, plus carving a Santa cariacture, a freshwater fish and a bird. We exhibit and demonstrate annually at the New Hanover county (Wilmington) Senior Center, in local galleries and at open house events at Poplar Grove Plantation.

In addition to working with wood, many members have expanded their artistic interest to include other mediums. Some are carving in stone, some scuplting in clay, either as a model for a final woodcarving or for preparing a mold for casting in metal. Several members are also accomplished artists working in oils, watercolors, pastels, and graphite.

History of Our Club

Since its founding in 1995, the Cape Fear Woodcarvers Club has grown to become an important arts resource in the Wilmington-Cape Fear area. The seed for a woodcarving club in southeast North Carolina was planted during an American Legion ceremony luncheon when Andy Jones and Frank Buesseler "discovered" they had a common interest in woodcarving. Andy arranged with Poplar Grove Plantation to host a carving club and contacted the local newspaper and Chip Chats which printed articles announcing the establishment of the group.

The first meeting in the fall of 1995 was attended by five carvers. Since then, club membership has grown to more than 70 men and women, who come from as far north as Jacksonville, and as far south as Calabash, and all points in between, in the greater Wilmington-Cape Fear region.

Jan is our news media contact. She conducts bark carving classes and is a very talented woodcarver.