Gerry Holzman passed away this week. He was a master wood-carver, the mastermind behind the Empire State Carousel and a dear friend. He was my neighbor for several years in Cambridge, NY and I got to watch him work, hear his stories and have the joy of being around him.
Last year I spoke to him about his memoir, Wanderings of a Wayward Woodcarver. We share that interview this morning to celebrate Gerry and his incredible life.
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Gerry Holzman is a master figure carver who has restored over 100 pieces of antique carousel art, created 250 pieces of original carousel carving, and was the head carver and executive director of New York's landmark Empire State Carousel Project, Holzman has devoted the past 50 years to woodcarving, and his skill has taken him around the world as a student, teacher, craftsman, and artist.
"Wanderings of a Wayward Woodcarver" is Holzman’s record of a lifetime spent in the craft and the many lessons it has taught him about what it means to be a carver and what it means to be a human being, plus a recounting of the many memorable characters he has met along the way.