GROVE CITY, PA – May 31, 2005 – The large, handmade, animated wood carving imported from Slovakia depicting folk life as it has existed there for centuries is now complete. Believed to be the largest animated wood carving in North America, this unique display is 17 feet wide, 6 feet deep and 8 feet tall and features 82 life-like, moving figures. The focal point is a large manger scene with 13 moving figures representing people from all walks of life coming to pay their respects to baby Jesus.

Hand-carved from basswood, it took three skilled craftsmen in Slovakia two and one-half years to create this unique work of art. Because it is so large, it had to be built in five sections. Each section was shipped upon completion to make room in the workshop to build the next part. The completed work-of-art is now permanently displayed at the Slovak Folk Crafts store in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The animation is done by an ingenious arrangement of pulleys, leather belts, gears and levers powered by six windshield wiper motors for Volvo trucks. The back of the display is open so visitors can see how the animation works.

The 36 scenes in this display are situated according to where they are located geographically in Slovakia. For example, the Tatra Mountains peak is placed at the top center of this creative attraction because these beautiful mountains are situated in north central Slovakia. Some of the animated scenes recently added to the display include a woman churning butter, a boy riding a rocking horse, a man getting a drink from a cup, two men sawing a log, and two men rolling logs into an operating sawmill. Also included in the last section to arrive is a man ringing a church bell; a miner; and women scutching flax, winding the flax fibers, spinning it into thread, and finally weaving it on a loom. Stationary scenes recently added include scale models of several large churches in eastern Slovakia, plus Spis Castle, Spisska Kapitula monastery and a beekeeper tending his hives.

Master Jozef Pekara, an 84 year-old master woodcarver, designed this huge wood carving and built the animation components. He passed away on April 4, 2005, just six weeks after he completed his part in this masterful creation. Vlado Tomko and his former student, Milos Karabin, did all the carving, completing each section in six months. Tomko and his wife came to the USA earlier this month to put some finishing touches on the display when the fifth section arrived. Both Tomko and Karabin live in the city of Presov in eastern Slovakia. Slovakia is the eastern part of what used to be known as Czechoslovakia. It became an independent country in 1993 with a population of about 5.5 million people and is now a member of the European Union.

Comments made by people as they admire this wood carving include, "This display belongs in the Smithsonian [Institution]." "Good Morning America needs to do a story on this masterpiece." "There’s no way to describe this display to someone. No photograph can do it justice. It must be seen." Many visitors return several times, bringing friends with them, and when they do, they see things they hadn’t seen in their previous visits. Visit www.SlovakFolkCrafts.com for more details and photographs of this remarkable masterpiece.

Slovak Folk Crafts is located in Grove City, PA at 1605 S. Center St. on Route 208, one mile east of Pennsylvania exit 113 on Interstate I-79 near the Grove City factory outlets. Grove City is situated midway between Pittsburgh and Erie near the intersection of interstate highways I-79 and I-80. Parents are encouraged to bring their children. Store hours are Monday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except holidays.

Slovak Folk Crafts, a unique mission project, creates jobs for the nearly 200 Slovak producers by importing hundreds of beautiful, high-quality, handmade home decorating and gift items. All profit is donated to charitable religious, educational and cultural projects in Slovakia.

# # #