2002 Highlights
(Click on images to enlarge them)
Fred Cogelow wins 2002 Best of Show
The gentleman in the flat-brimmed hat pictured below is Fred Cogelow from Willmar, Minnesota, creator of "The Knuteson Twins" and winner of the 2002 Best of Show that includes the Henry Taylor $1500 Best of Show Cash Award. Fred responded to a request for a picture and brief biography.
The BIO by Fred Cogelow (Not edited)
"Most folks are a good deal less interesting than the stories told about them, and it leads to considerable hesitancy to dispel the notions in circulation. Ol' fredgelow has lead a rather bland existence and has never gone far in life, his studio being just fifteen feet from the house where he was born. His wreck collections of his youth are few, owing to the fact that he was young and disinterest ed at the time. His first memory of woodcarving was taking his father's palm gouge to his ma's breadboard and finding the effort met with a distinct lack of appreciation. Shortly thereafter his turd grade teacher had the class carving Scottie dogs out of ivory soap using dull table knives. An attempt to render a bit too much leg detail resulted in breakage. When teach was asked for repair advice, the pooch was snatched away with the contemptuous outburst, "Oh!!...you're hopeless! You'll never be a carver!" Given the naturally obstinate, contrary, and passive resistant nature of the subject, it ain't surprising that he ended up just that.
Fred first entered the Congress competition somewhere's about 1980 with less than stirring results. Made a bit of a dent in `82, and a splash in `83 when he accompanied his carvings to Marycrest and took five Best of Group awards. His first Beast of Sow came in `85. Served as AWC president during the struggle for independence, and has bin an innocuous, inconspicuous, indehiscent, indecipherable, incondite, inconsequential and insufferable presence ever since.
He married tool needs to innovation and an appreciation of Henry Taylor Tools for their support of the Congress and came up with the first skew-gouge designs in the late eighties. Introduction of the first set came around 1990. Fred has lamented that the skew-gouge notoriety has obscured the innovations which are of greater utility for the majority of carvers, namely the elbowless backbent gouges and V's, the scimitars and bent skews.
He is currently in preparation for a grape Rita Passage with the impending launch of COW-CO, the Cogelow Original Wagon Company. If sucksessfool, the maturational gains of the endeavor may leave him sufficiently emboldened to take a stab at negotiating adolescence. His wife Doris provides stability and sensibility and companion Ola offers design suggestions and critiques."
2002 First runner-up
"Tree Sawyers Sawing"
12" x 21" x 6"
Marvin Kaisersatt, Faribault, Minnesota earned the First Runner-up Best of Show Award . He earned a $500 cash award sponsored by the Mid-America Woodcarvers Association of Omaha, NE and a $250 cash gift provided by Rick Frels. The carving, placed First in the Caricature, Group E competition as well as First in Class 505 - Combining of two or more subjects. Marv was also the Featured Carver of the 2002 Woodcarvers Congress.
2002 Second runner-up
"Peter Meets His Principle: Fred Ditto" is the creation of the Best of Show winner, Fred Cogelow from Willmar, Minnesota. This carving won Second Runner-up in the Best of Show after winning Second Place in the Open Class. Second Runner-up position wins a $500 cash gift provided by Tyler Lennington.
This expressive carving measures 50" x 28" x 26" and draws ones attention immediately.
The Dastra Tool People's Choice Award
Harold Waltman won Peoples Choice with his carving of a hawk titled "Bristling Beauty" The $500 Peoples Choice Cash Award is sponsored by Dastra Tools.
Imported by Frank Mittermeier, Inc. from the Bronx, New York. Harold is from Sullivan, Indiana.
The Flexcut Creativity Award
This year we were honored to have Dave Bennett, the owner of Flexcut Carving Tools, Inc. in attendance at the show and he personally chose William Wohlford's "The Jazz Trio" for "The Flexcut Creativity Award" with its $500 Cash Award. This award is to be given "to the artist whose treatment of wood advances the artform of carving as an expressive medium through their creative carving techniques and fresh insight of subject matter." This years carving is a mixed media piece: walnut hornplayers, holding brass horns on a stained basswood base. It measures 39" x 21" x 14". Bill is one of the local carvers from Bettendorf, Iowa.
The Merle Byram Memorial Award
Being a First Place winner in Class 929 - Santa Claus, gets you a $100 Cash Award sponsored by Audrey Byram. She sponsored the award in honor of her husband and our past AWC Director, Merle. Bruce Futterer, Russellville, Arkansas, won the award with his carving, titled: "Santa in a Ponder".
The Alice Vaughn Memorial Award
Midge Johnson's rabbit earned Midge a First Place in Class 401 - Realistic Animal - Full Figure, Painted, thus winning the Alice Vaughn Memorial Award. Her piece mea sures 23" x 9" x 9".
The award is a $100 Cash Award sponsored by AWC Members, Sara & Larry Cornwell in Alice's honor.
The Bob Austin Memorial Award
The Bob Austin Memorial Award is a $100 Cash Award sponsored by Bob's club, the Belleville Holzschnitzers. This year the winner is Kirt Curtis' carving of two elk busts that won First Place in Class 407 - Combining of two or more animals in a scene, as well as the First Place in the Animal Group.