Wood Carving growing, maintaining, shrinking?

[Tom-H]

Don't quite know where this questions belongs..Hopefully one of you moderators will move it if it needs to be moved.

An earlier thread discussed local wood carving clubs and shows, and whether they were growing, maintaining, or shrinking. It's obvious that there are clubs that are doing all three. But I think we could all benefit from some good ideas for growing our clubs, getting more attendance at the wood carving shows, and attracting younger folks to wood carving. I think that one of the first and most important things is securing meaningful publicity for our clubs, shows, and just wood carving in general.

With the experience and wisdom of all at the ready; how about some ideas, suggestions, or just plain comments on this.

Maybe someone could better describe what I am trying to say.

Tom H

[bbowers]

Our local club has had pretty good luck by having an annual Saturday- Sunday Carve-n-Show event. We carve for both days and open it up to the public to show our completed work & items in progress. It seems like we get good traffic and usually a few have some interest in carving. You hear a lot of "I've always thought about carving" comments. You right though it takes good publicity. We send press releases to local radio, TV and newspaper 3 weeks ahead to get some PR. We also made up business card size invitations that members hand out to anyone they can the two weeks before the event.
Our club has stayed static at 24-25 members over the past few years. It is about a third younger people & the rest retired folks.

[susieq]

I think clubs and probably wood carving in general, goes in cycles... Our club has been around for nearly 20 years. It has had as many as 130 member and as few as 75 in any given year. Mostly retirees which is a bit of a problem as many of our older members have died off over the years. We do seem to have a hard time attracting younger members. But we pick up a few new members from each of our annual shows. I think our club is at a low cycle right now, might last for a couple of years. Hopefully, it will cycle back out of this low and return to it's stronger incarnation one of these days. I think carving is stronger in certain parts of the country than in others too.
I don't think it is in any danger of dying off.
susieq

[gene-messer]

Tom .. Good question ..

Susie is right .. I think it depends on the area you live it as far as interest .. And I dont think it's dieing off just yet ..

Now I cant speak for other area's .. but where I live down here on the Texas coast .. Wood carving is of little interest to this area .. so woodcarving is pretty much dead around here .. Very little interest .. very few carvers ..

Our club has tried for many years to spark interest in carving with show's , art in the park and other demonstrations .. but it has done little good for the last 10 years .. Our town is a working town and the biggest interest is friday night football and going to work .. Period ... Both good things .. but art's and craft's are of little interest to the population down here ..

So that's about it for this area ... I have tried to interest the young people in boy scouts and other concerning carving .. but their parents are more interested in them playing sports .. then learning a craft .. And that's ok . . Even our club has almost disbanded because of lack of interest ..

But you have heard about how crazy those small Texas towns are about football .. Well Let me tell you it's TRUE ! They are in love with it and it's just starting up soon ..

That's why I thank God for this forum .. With out getting to discuss carving with all you wonderful folks at times .. I literally be alone in talking to anyone about it ..

So from a southeast , Texas patron .. Thank you WCI for this wonderful forum ..

Gene

[kitaye]

Well since I don't know if there is a local club and haven't seen any information about them anywhere I can only assume the are maintaining or shrinking. I was approached by a known carver at work who said she wanted to talk to me about my carving but backpedaled when I told her I was a beginner and mostly did spoons. Maybe she was gonna teach me the secret handshake to get in but I missed my chance :shrugs:

However, I do know there is a large and apparently growing club of carvers in and around Merrickville. Saw several posters, spoke with four members, and saw displays in 4 or 5 shops in a town maybe 1/100th the size of Cornwall (biggest town near me).