New, Large Tourist Attraction Unveiled

GROVE CITY, PA – October 15, 2003 – A new tourist attraction now exists in central, western Pennsylvania: a large, handmade animated woodcarving imported from Slovakia depicting folk life as it has existed in Slovakia for centuries. The first of five sections of this unique work of art, measuring 4 feet wide by 6 feet deep and 8 feet tall is now on display. The focal point is the large manger scene with one special addition: a small boy on his hands and knees offering his most precious possession to baby Jesus. Coming to honor the newborn Jesus are 13 animated figures representing people from many walks of life. As they approach the manger, they turn toward their Lord, and then face forward again as they leave.

The first section has seven scenes with 28 moving and 18 static figures. Besides the manger scene, two women hoe potatoes, a woman rocks a baby in a cradle, a man cuts hay with a scythe, a woman rakes hay and a dog herds sheep. Also a bear with a captured sheep in his front paws is being chased by a dog followed by a man with an axe, a boy with a stick and several other characters in close pursuit.

The static figures include a woman drinking from a jug, a man pitching hay onto a wagon, numerous manger scene figures and a shepherd sitting on a stump playing a flute. The summit of this section is a spectacular carved replica of the distinctive Krivan peak of the Slovaks’ beloved Tatra Mountains.

Master Jozef Pekara, an 83 year-old master woodcarver, is designing this woodcarving and acquiring the animation components. Vlado Tomko and Milos Karabin, two younger woodcarvers, worked six months to create the first section in Slovakia. The second section took another six months to complete and will arrive from Slovakia soon. It will take an additional 18 months for these craftsmen to carve the remaining three sections. When complete, this amazing woodcarving exhibition will be 17 feet wide, 6 feet deep and 8 feet tall. It will include 32 scenes featuring people doing many different activities surrounded by scale models of famous castles, churches, and other buildings in Slovakia. People have made the following comments when seeing this woodcarving for the first time, "It’s breathtakingly beautiful!", "The figures and their motions look so realistic.", "There’s no way to describe this display to someone. No photograph can do it justice. It must be seen." and "This creation is certain to become a major tourist attraction."

This artistic creation, all hand-carved from basswood, is now the centerpiece in the Slovak Folk Crafts store located at exit 113 on highway I-79 just one mile east of the Grove City factory shops on Route 208. Admission to see this display is free. The store hours are Monday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Slovak Folk Crafts imports hundreds of beautiful handcrafts to help the Slovak people by creating jobs for them and donating the profit to charitable religious, educational and cultural projects in Slovakia.

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