Photo by Amy Cherry
Three large wood carvings were placed on the Diamond in St. Marys on Friday afternoon. In front, from left, are Deborah Pontzer of Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson’s office and Liz Boni of Appalachian Arts Studio. In back, from left, are Mike Wennin, executive director of the Lumber Heritage Region; ECCOTA executive director Abbi Peters; and St. Marys City Manager Dave Greene.

By Amy Cherry
Staff Writer

On Friday afternoon, the Diamond in downtown St. Marys became the home of three new wood carvings as part of the Enchanted Woodlins Trail, a collaborative effort between the Elk County Council on the Arts (ECCOTA) and Appalachian Arts Studio, located on Boot Jack Road in Ridgway.
The carvings consist of a majestic pioneer couple as a tribute to the city’s early settlers, along with two benches inspired by the area’s wildlife. Each bench is flanked on both sides by large carvings, one with a trio of playful black bears the other featuring a family of foxes.
The father-daughter duo of Rick and Zoe Boni of Appalachian Arts worked together on the project with Zoe carving the benches and Rick creating the pioneers.
Liz and Zoe Boni were joined yesterday by St. Marys City Manager Dave Greene, ECCOTA executive director Abbi Peters, Deborah Pontzer of Congressman Thompson’s office and Mike Wennin, executive director of the Lumber Heritage Region.
After the carvings were placed in their respective locations around the Diamond, Greene assisted Liz with installing the artist plaque on each carving.
“We’re hoping the carvings increase tourism and make people aware of the art form and how it reflects on the community and the surrounding area,” Peters said. “It’s a great way to capture the beauty that’s here in an art form by mixing lumber heritage with natural resources and wildlife.”
The Enchanted Woodlins Trails creates and places wood carvings in various locations throughout Elk and Clearfield County. While St. Marys is the newest addition to the trail, the City of DuBois joined the trail in July 2009 when six new wildlife carvings were installed along the Beaver Meadow Walkway, located behind the Martin’s Grocery plaza.
According to Peters the total project cost for both cities was $36,000.
Funding for the project was made possible in part by an $18,000 grant from the Lumber Heritage Region, as part of its Heritage Parks Program grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
This grant was then matched with local funds from each city. St. Marys’ share was $12,000 while DuBois paid $6,000. The difference in cost was a result of St. Marys receiving larger carvings while DuBois were a smaller design.
Greene confirmed that St. Marys matching contribution is from funding provided by the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Grant money also covers the cost of marketing and brochures which will be placed along the trail depicting the location of additional carvings throughout the region.
Other municipalities who are involved in the Enchanted Woodlins Trail project are Ridgway, Johnsonburg, Benezette and Jay Township.
“Our goal is to have carvings in each town throughout the PA Wilds region,” Liz said.
“They definitely attract the tourists,” Peters said.
ECCOTA and Appalachian Arts plan to continue to secure new sources of funding for the project.
During the first year of the project Ridgway, businesses contributed half the costs while PA Great Outdoors matched the remaining half.
“We’re looking for more opportunities for federal funding as the state has contributed significantly in the past,” Wennin said. “We’re also looking to support the PA Wilds initiative.”
Liz noted that after receiving the sketches of possible carving ideas from Greene, the idea to pay tribute to the city’s early settlers was among them.
In creating the carvings the Boni’s had to intentionally change the look of the male settlers hat. Normally the hat would include a flat brim, however Rick had to curve the brim so it would stay on the figure’s head properly and to ensure the wood would not crack.
In addition, Zoe is known for her fox carvings, which is showcased in one of the benches. That specific piece recently took home the top prize in a carving competition held in New York.