In what started as a way to honour the trees that were cut in Drumheller to make way for the Flood Mitigation program in the valley has grown into the largest tree carving events in Alberta.
And this year it grew again.
The Chainsaw Wizards sculpting event went international this year with eight world-renowned participants not only from Canada but a strong contingent from the US, the UK, and Germany. Some of these artists are featured on A Cut Above, streaming on Amazon.
Artists include s
This year the event took up a new venue to accommodate for the greater number of carvers. The site beside the Drumheller Memorial Arena was a hive of energy as the carvers worked the gigantic logs into works of art.
The local Chainsaw Wizards committee, which includes Heather Colberg, Wayne Powell, Tony Miglez, and Harvey Saltys, with support from the town of Drumheller, worked with Marina Cole, who has participated in previous years’ events.
The carvers set to work on Friday, May 16, and worked away until Monday, May 19. Along the way, they created new trail stoppers, which will be used on the local trail network. Throughout the weekend, there were quick carve events where the artists created a new work within an hour that were immediately auctioned off on-site.
One of the organizers, Wayne Powell, explains that two of the main projects will remain in the valley, while six main projects will be auctioned off online. The carving will be posted for one week on Premier Auctions' website for sale, starting May 19.
Powell explains that the proceeds from this auction will help make the event sustainable and continue for years to come.
