STONE HARBOR – Joanie Mitchell once put the words to music, “you don’t miss what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”
Of course, this sentiment can be applied to many aspects of daily life, as technology and other influences replace familiar, comfortable and sometimes valuable remnants of the way we’ve enjoyed ourselves. It might also apply to one of the founding elements of the Wings ‘n Water Festival, that of fine wildlife carvings.
Begun in 1982, the festival was, and is, dedicated to the recognition and propagation of various genre of wildlife art, especially that of the South Jersey wetlands. Among the most beautiful and valuable of these art forms is that of the carving of birds, and many or most of the world’s finest bird carvers have displayed their work and entered in the festival’s annual North AmericanShorebird Carving competition that offers a $5,000 top prize purchase award. These winning carvings can be seen at the Wetlands Institute.
This year’s festival will include many of these same top bird carvers including Harry Shourds who has been named a ‘National Treasure,’ for his art by none other than the Smithsonian Institution. Other fine carvers will exhibit their work including local carvers Tom O’Connell of Little Egg Harbor, Art Parkin of Millville, Ken Scheeler of Vineland and Ralston “Hop” Edwardsof Newfield.
Jim Seibert, a fine carver and one of the founding artists of the festival has concerns, however, about the continuation of this particular art form.
“Young people don’t seem particularly interested in bird carving,” says Seibert, who grew up in Cape May County along the Delaware Bay. Like many fine bird carvers, Jim became interested in carving as a duck hunter, first starting by carving his own decoys.
Dotty Berner of Dorothy, a former carver and chairperson of the festival’s wildlife carving competition has her own thoughts on the subject.
“A fine bird carving is an avian wood sculpture, a unique three-dimensional work of American art that will decorate the home and then can be passed down through the generations. However, young people are busy these days with many more entertainment options available to them as well as the obligations that come with raising a family. They simply don’t have the time that’s required to dedicate to this art form.”
The Wings ‘n Water Festival will take place on the weekend of Sept. 17 and 18 at locations in Middle Township, Stone Harbor and Avalon. The wildlife carvings will be on display in the Avalon Community Hall and the artists who crafted them will be on hand to show and discuss their work. It will be a good opportunity to purchase a genuine piece of American art that is becoming more rare as fewer artists produce the work that’s not gone, but is it going?
