NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

4/15/2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- Michael Yankowski always seems to be looking for new ways to express himself artistically.

About five years ago Yankowski, an associate professor of art at Northwestern State University, saw an article on a school that specialized in teaching students how to carve carousel figures. The story got his interest and took him to a specialized school and to Europe to learn carving. Yankowski will show what he has learned in an exhibit "Three Carousel Figures," which will be on display through May 2 in the Orville Hanchey Gallery at NSU.

In recent years, Yankowski has worked in mixed media sculptures in which he uses wood, metal, paint and anything else he can fine to create works. He also created a photographic essay of Cane River. Yankowski also authored a book, "An Illustrated History of the Alphabet," which he wrote, illustrated and designed in order to learn about bookbinding.

In 1998, Yankowski studied with master carver Bud Ellis in Chattanooga, who was guiding 60 people on a project to carve 60 animals for the city's restored carousel. Yankowski wasn't able to be part of the project, but he was able to study with Ellis using a grant from NSU's Council for University Research Incentive Awards (CURIA).

He learned techniques, styles and traditions of carousel carving and began work on a full size "stander" representing the horse of Joan of Arc. The sculpture took 18 months to complete and has numerous symbols that are part of the history around Joan of Arc and the Catholic tradition.

"It is a very complicated process," said Yankowski. "When I started, I thought it could be done in a few weeks. You have to go step by step."

Yankowski was awarded the Derby Endowed Professorship in 2000 and received funding to spend two weeks in Austria and Italy in a region renowned for woodcarvers. He spent one week at the Geisler-Moroder School in Elbigenalp, Austria, learning techniques and styles from master carvers.

The second carousel animal done by Yankowski was a lion which was finished late last year. The lion took 600 hours to complete and contains symbols related to his daughter Sarah.

The exhibit also contains a giraffe head with a monkey done in the carousel style.

"This one has a humorous contrast between large and small accented by the contrast between smooth and textured surfaces of the very different animals," said Yankowski. "I did a giraffe because my sister likes them."

He did just a head because of the difficulty in transporting and exhibiting full size animals.

The Hanchey Gallery is open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

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