Program Description
Event Details
Come visit our new art display in the conference room and chat with woodcarver Edward Cope. You will also be able to watch Ed work on his next project.
Ed Cope started carving at an early age. As a child of 5 or 6, always found with a pocketknife, Ed would carve canoes from tree branches and his Grandmother, an artist herself, would paint them for him.
Holidays would find Ed in the family workshop making gifts, honing his woodworking skills. Ed and his brothers built their own Soap Box Derby race cars. In 1972 Ed and his brothers took Second, Third and Fifth place; in 1973 Ed took First; his brothers placed Second and Fourth.
As a young adult Ed continued to carve and work with wood. In 1983 Ed built his first wood strip canoe from cedar and oak. Later, working with a local Athol Cub Scout Troop, Ed and the Cubs built a canoe to be raffled off at the River Rat Race, raising money for the local Cubs.
In 1988 Ed started to work full time as a wood carver with Sea Life as his muse. Ed traveled up and down the Eastern Seaboard selling his carvings at various Art and Craft Shows. Ed took many awards including:
Best on Show:
1993 Florida Manatee Festival
“Humpback Family”
Best in Show:
1993 Plainfield NJ Art and Craft Show;
“Frolicking Sperm Whales”
Ed has also taught carving:
1992-1995; MCI Bay State
1993-1995; Holyoke Community College Adult Ed Class
1995-2015; Holyoke Creative Arts Center
2015-2020; Gateway City Arts, Holyoke
Today, Ed has a new interest; performing magic! Learn more at edthewizard.com