River Valley Wood Carvers, a Greater Cincinnati nonprofit organization that promotes, teaches, and practices the craft of wood carving and wood burning, will host its annual expo in Northern Kentucky.
The Ohio Valley Woodcarvers Expo will take place Sept. 26 and 27 at the Cold Spring Elks Lodge facility at 3704 Alexandria Pike. The two-day event brings together some of the region’s most accomplished wood carvers and wood burning artists for a weekend of live demonstrations, juried competition, and hand-crafted artwork. The public can attend for a $5 donation at the door.
“The Expo is our moment to show Greater Cincinnati what this art form truly is — not a relic, but a living craft practiced by incredibly talented people right here in our community,” River Valley Wood Carvers President Robin Hahn said in a news release. When you watch a carver at work, when you see a finished piece up close, it stops you. There’s a humanity to it that’s hard to put into words. And knowing that those same hands will spend the next two months carving ornaments for kids who need a little extra joy this Christmas — that’s what makes this event unlike anything else on the calendar.”
In addition, vendors will also sell carving tools, supplies and finished artwork. Hand-carved and wood-burned pieces will be available for purchase directly from participating artists.
The expo also supports three River Valley Wood Carvers community programs: an annual effort to provide hand-carved holiday ornaments to children in local schools and foster care, a new initiative benefiting the American Cancer Society through decorative wooden hearts, and a youth education program that teaches wood carving through 4-H and in-school instruction.
