Newport Woodcarvers

In the Fireside Room of Newport Lutheran Church, the Newport Woodcarvers Club meets every Wednesday morning from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. for coffee, carving, and conversation. Anyone interested in learning or practicing the craft is invited to join in.

The Club is open to all ages, genders, skill levels, and residents of the surrounding communities. There are currently 87 members, including children (who are home-schooled) and several women. The youngest member is 7 years old, and the oldest is, well, retired.

Members meet to share ideas, exchange patterns, and offer tips as they work on their projects. Items created by chip carving and relief carving include animals, figurines, statues, and boxes. Some of the woods that are used are pine, basswood, butternut, and balsam.

Projects from individual members of the group have been entered and received awards at the Minnesota State Fair. Presentations and displays of the work are also made at senior centers.

Once a year the club holds an Awards Banquet to honor the achievements of members in the group. The rest of the time is just plain fun.

If you've ever wanted to try your hand at wood sculpture and make friends too, this is the place to do it.