What a relief!

Coastal Carvers Show returns to Lincoln City

By Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

Become a believer at the 30th annual Coastal Carvers Show in Lincoln City, where this year’s theme is “Wild Woods, from Sasquatch to wild flowers and everything in between.”

The non-juried show will take place this Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 13 and 14, at Chinook Winds Casino Resort.

Featured artist, Cherry Cox from Damascus, Oregon, carves intricate forms, using glass and lighting to create fascinating carvings.

“It all started for me about seven years ago when my brother, who was getting into wood carving, asked me if I wanted to try it,” she said. “He taught me how to make cuts and from the first cut I was hooked; it was the most joyous experience.”

Cox most resonated with the style of relief carving where the background is removed, leaving blank spaces around the chosen design.

“With the glass behind it, it really pops,” she said. “You really don’t understand it until you see it.”

Spending hours carving leaves Cox with less time to promote herself on social media.

“I had a client and he asked if I had anything on the web showing my work, and I said I was not a tech person,” she said. “Then I found out that someone had been so excited about one of my carvings that they put it on Instagram so I figured I’d go with that, so I have an Instagram page now. But I still don’t post to it very much, I prefer just carving.”

A longtime guest at the Coastal Carvers Show, Cox said that she was extremely honored to be chosen as the featured artist for this year’s event.

“I will do my best to honor the honor of being chosen,” she said. “I love the show because my art is unique and I always learn so much from other carvers there.”

Demonstrations are a big part of the show and this year will be no different, from Everett Carter, who will be doing a carve-along project just for kids to the ever-popular pyrography artist Cynthia Longhat-Adams, who will answer questions about her fire-painting process.

Terry Burnside will give a demo and talk on carving a wood spirit that will be a different approach from last year. This year's techniques will be inspired by Tom Wolfe.

Nancy Girard will be doing a carve-along project for adults on both days of the show.

For all demos, please bring tools if you have them, but most of the presenters will have some for people to use

People's Choice Carving awards will be given for those that have been carving for less than two years, kids aged 14 and younger and other categories. There will also be a special "Mayor's Award" and "Chinook Winds Casino Award.”

Each year, the club sponsors a local charity from show proceeds like the raffle, auction and donations.

This year, the recipient will be the wood shop at the Lincoln City Christian School, which lost many tools to a break-in last summer. Gene Tilton and Terry Kingston teach carving and guitar making to the students and the goal is to assist as much as possible in replacing the lost tools.

The Coastal Carvers Show will run from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, Jan. 13, and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, Jan. 14, at Chinook Winds Casino Resort, located at 1777 NW 44th Street in Lincoln City.

Saturday, Jan. 13

10:30 am

Everett Carter - Kids only carving

Terry Burnside - Demo and talk on carving a Wood Spirit

1 pm

Nancy Girard - Adult carving

Tom Hasting - Turning a Natural Edge Bowl

Sunday, Jan. 14