Black Bear
Official Name: Paws
Sponsor: Andrea and Tim Collins
Painter: Sandra Hildreth, local artist and member of Adirondack Artists Guild
Carver: Carl Borst and Andy Manchester
Carl Borst is a talented, self-taught carver. After attending a wood carving show in 1991, Carl challenged himself to take up the craft, and joined a woodcarving club. After only a year of carving, upon entering his first competition, he won a blue ribbon for all five of his entries. The following year he entered the intermediate category with the same results. By the third year, and entered in the advanced category, he was sought out by other competitors needing help with their work.
Carl has carved architectural, relief, in the round, realistic, caricature, animal and human carvings. His sense of humor is evident in his caricatures and they have become his favorite projects (see the tool belt on our “Rocky,” the Adirondack Carousel raccoon).
In 1994, Carl was invited by the National Woodcarvers Association to become a contributing member of their magazine, Chip Chats, as a nod to his original patterns. He has become a popular attraction at shows throughout the Northeast, lecturing, instructing and conducting seminars. He served as President of the Mohawk Valley Art and Woodcarving Association (1995-2001) and was awarded the Caricature Carvers of America Award (1999).
Carl Borst | (518) 355-2933
Andy Manchester – After coming to the Adirondacks in 1988 to attend Paul Smiths College, Andy became a caretaker for a private estate in Paul Smiths, New York. Andy started out carving song birds and decoys and decided to try his hand at carving the bear for the Adirondack Carousel several years ago. In addition to being actively involved with the Whiteface Mountain Masonic Lodge, Andy is also an active member of Ducks Unlimited, as well as an avid hunter and fisherman.
