“Freedom Pumpkin” Wins “Best in Show” at Second Annual Amazing Pumpkin Carve
Hopewell Valley Arts Council Announces Winning Artists of Second Annual Amazing Pumpkin Carve
PENNINGTON, NJ October 13, 2016— A giant pumpkin dramatically carved with clasped arms reaching around its circumference and inscribed with the words, “Unite for Freedom and Rights” has been named Best in Show at the Hopewell Valley Arts Council’s Second Annual Amazing Pumpkin Carve. Artist Curtis May, a Pennington resident and Pennsbury High School (Bucks County, PA) art teacher, has claimed the title for both years in a row.
May’s pumpkin and dozens of others carved by local artists and nonprofit organizations can be seen during one final weekend, October 14-16, at the Howell Living History Farm Corn Maze located at 17 Valley Road in Hopewell Township, New Jersey. The Carve will be open Friday evening 5-9, Saturday noon-9 and Sunday noon-5.
Other winning artist-carvers in this year’s Pumpkin Carve include Charlie Yeh (Best Carving); Sarah Bernotas (Most Creative Design); Aleece Davis (Most Creative Use of Materials); Michelle Clark (Best Pumpkin at Night); and Patrick Pasquito (Most Humorous Pumpkin.) Honorable Mentions went to Kaitlin Deering Kassel, Carol Gorham, Lori Johansson, and Will Kasso.
The Amazing Pumpkin Carve was created by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council to spotlight the talent of local artists in a way that all ages can enjoy. Young children through senior citizens can plan an afternoon or evening of outdoor Fall fun that includes exploring the Pumpkin Carve, tackling the puzzling challenge of the Howell Farm Corn Maze, hand-pumping water to race rubber duckies, clambering over wooden replicas of farm equipment, and enjoying lunch or seasonal treats from the Snack Bar and Grill. Celebrating its twentieth year, the Howell Farm Corn Maze is the longest continuously-running corn maze in New Jersey. The maze features almost three miles of labyrinthian trails and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Online Art Auction Added to Carve
The Arts Council’s celebration of Autumn seasonal art was expanded this year to include an online auction of ten custom, collectable, everlasting pumpkins decorated by top artists from Mercer, Bucks, and Hunterdon counties of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These one-of-a-kind art pumpkins can be seen in person at the Pumpkin Carve. The online auction will close with the end of the Pumpkin Carve at 5pm on Sunday, October 16. Proceeds benefit the Hopewell Valley Arts Council. The artists commissioned include Morris Docktor, Addison Vincent, Susanne Pitak Davis, Leon Rainbow, Thom Montanari, Annelies van Dommelen, Matthew Langille, James Feehan, Susan Roseman and Nancy Stark.
Information to plan a visit to the Amazing Pumpkin Carve, including admission prices, and links to the online auction of art pumpkins are available at www.hvartscouncil.org.
The Hopewell Valley Arts Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating “art in the everyday” throughout the Hopewell Valley region of New Jersey, including Hopewell Township, Titusville, Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough. Now in its second year of operation, the Arts Council has blossomed as an art-focused partner for many community institutions and events and, so far this year, has brought more than twenty art activities, performances, exhibits and talks to Hopewell Valley festivals and celebrations, as well as to Capital Health Medical Center—Hopewell; the Pennington Public Library; and the Off-Broadstreet Theatre. Through its efforts to cultivate art appreciation and participation, the Arts Council aims to nurture a vibrant, creative and engaged community. The organization grew out of the 2014 Hopewell Stampede, a project initiated by a group of art-loving residents who enlisted local artists to decorate more than 70 oversized, fiberglass oxen. The oxen were displayed throughout the community.
For more information, contact HV Arts Council Program Director Carol Lipson at pumpkins@hvartscouncil.org and Tracy Meyer at tracy@tracywmeyer.org; or visit hvartscouncil.org. Follow the Arts Council on Facebook at Facebook.com/HVStampede/, Instagram, Instagram.com/hvartscouncil and Twitter Twitter.com/hvartscouncil.