2022 Award of Excellence: Tom Park
Since he began to carve in the late 90’s, Tom has competed regularly and won many accolades for his work. He has been a part of Prairie Canada Carvers’ Association and worked for years to support the show. Tom has contributed 17 articles to Wildfowl Carving magazine that have assisted countless carvers in developing skills and producing wonderful art pieces of their own. Extremely generous with his time, Tom has facilitated many workshops that help carvers develop important skills, and he is always ready to cut a blank or help with a pattern or project - often in his home workshop.
Tom is the model of what an excellent mentor should be - encouraging, suggesting, helping and celebrating the success of carvers at every level. The fact that Tom’s reward is his joy at seeing others move ahead with their carving makes him very special. One of the many who contributed to nominating Tom for this award rather perfectly summed up Tom’s contributions as follows....
“It is carvers, people like you, that make the rest of us want to come to the shows, want to be a part of the community, and want to carve. Your commitment to improving the art form is noticed by everyone who encounters you and your work, your instruction and your encouragement. The techniques you share with carvers, novice and advanced, have pushed the level of work we see locally and nationally. Your patience, teaching instruction in magazines, as well as general encouragement is what our art form needs to survive, grow and thrive. Thank you for all you do. The Canadian carving community would not be the same without you in it. It is for persons like you that we give out the Award of Excellence.”
Congratulations Tom, and thank you for all you have contributed to the carving community.