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Story and photos by Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
SHELBY — A new and unique art exhibit that features eye-catching chainsaw-carved sculptures kicked off Friday, May 15.
CarvePrize, modeled after ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, displays 15 different sculptures along Michigan Avenue, transforming the downtown into an “open-air gallery.”
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For the next two months, residents and visitors can vote for their favorite sculptures as carvers from across Michigan and beyond compete for cash prizes. First place pays $2,000, and second place awards $1,000.
CarvePrize culminates with a festival Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11, featuring carving demonstrations, live auctions, a craft fair, food trucks and family-friendly activities. Five carvers will conduct live demonstrations both days.
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The impressive sculptures, many of which feature local wildlife, like bears, eagles and foxes, were capturing the interest of passersby at the onset.
“This looks nice,” said Vern Pearson of Silver Lake. “This is amazing,” said King Stone of Shelby. “I ran a lot of chainsaws, but I could never do anything like that. It’s great.”
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“These are beautiful,” said Carlene Hopstaken of Hesperia as she and her husband Bob admired the sculptures. “They did a gorgeous job.”
If you want to vote on the sculptures, you must come to the village to register by scanning the QR code located at the base of each sculpture, said Andy Mazur. Mazur and his wife Amanda operate Invigor, a marketing company in Shelby, that set up the CarvePrize website and voting platform. You vote on three favorites and can vote once every day.
“I’m excited for it to start — it’s a cool thing for the community,” said Mazur.
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“After they vote one time in the village, then they can vote from wherever they are,” said Village Administrator Phil Morse.
A silent auction of the carvings is also be part of the fun. “There are minimum bids on all of them — the carvers set the minimum bids,” said Morse. The artists will receive at least half of the proceeds from the auction bids, with the other portion of funds raised will go back to the festival.
The plan is to host the festival every year with new sculptures each time.
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Morse, who was hired to lead the village two years ago, said he wanted Shelby to host an event that gives it an identity. “We started with the chainsaw carving festival last year, and it went really well. I thought, how can we grow on this? But instead of people coming to town two days out of the year, why not make it two months.” The idea is to draw more people downtown and support Shelby businesses, he said.
The exhibit also ties in with the area’s history of the lumber industry during the late 1880s that sparked the development of many small towns dotting the Lake Michigan shoreline. “We still have mills in the county,” he added.
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“I strongly encourage people to come to town and vote.”
The only challenge for voters will be whittling the 15 creative selections down to three.
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