Larry Matney
PebbleCreek Woodcarvers Club members completed a second Kachina woodcarving class on February 23, 2018. Class members were Dale Sevig, Roger Borlaug, Alan Boyce, Elaine Rajeski, Kim Bowie, Jane Peacock, Doug Groves, Mark Marks, Jerry Freeman, Gordon Andersen (instructor), Frank Higgins and Dwight Carlson.
Kachinas are part of the heritage of Southwest Native Americans and represent messengers that interact between pueblo people and great spirits that bring things like good weather, abundant game and a bountiful harvest. Tribes have special ceremonies where men dress as these Kachinas and perform sacred rituals. Kachina dolls have been carved for thousands of years and are used to teach tribal members about Kachinas. They have also become a source of income for some tribal members that carve Kachinas intended to be sold outside the tribe. Kachinas are beautiful works of art and also represent a special connection to Southwest Native American culture.
The Woodcarvers Club meets in the Quail Room in the Creative Arts building on the Tuscany side of PebbleCreek. The club has general meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. from October to April. If you are interested in woodcarving stop by to see completed work and meet club members. Most members have had little or no experience carving prior to taking one of the club’s classes. Carving equipment is available for use during your first two classes to see if you like carving. So stop by the Quail Room and see what you can create from a block of wood.
Formal classes are not scheduled during the summer but if you are a full time PebbleCreek resident contact Joel Hawkins via email at [email protected] or stop by the Quail Room and there will be someone there to get you started carving.
The Woodcarving Club offers a large variety of carving classes. During the 2017/2018 carving season the club had carving classes on: Chess Set Pieces, Comical Owl, Corn Maiden Kachina, Cottonwood Bark Carving, Decorative Spoon, Kachina, Northwest Indian Helmet, Northwest Indian Moon Mask, Pumpkin Caricature, Relief Carving and Wood Spirits.