Telling Alaska’s Story: Alaskan woodcarver busy at work on bench for Alaska Zoo

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The path round East Anchorage’s Cheney Lake options quite a lot of items of Stuart Benson’s artwork work.

Benson is a woodcarver whose yard studio borders the path and the lake. It’s not unusual to have folks cease to see what he’s as much as.

“My artwork pleases me and I simply adore it that different folks adore it too,” Benson mentioned. “Individuals come by daily and say how a lot they like coming by right here.”

Simply two years in the past, Benson carved a big bench from a beetle killed spruce tree that featured a snowy owl on one finish. He positioned the bench on the trail across the lake the place folks like to stroll and it’s been effectively used ever since.

Benson is a longtime carpenter who retired, and is now working full time on his artwork. Almost all the pieces he makes he places in public locations or provides away without spending a dime.

“If you’re doing artwork for cash, I feel the creativity lacks,” Benson mentioned. “So my artwork’s at all times been free.

Benson enjoys engaged on his picket artwork initiatives.

“It’s a present,” Benson mentioned. “I’ve a present, I give presents.”

Benson’s newest present is to the Alaska Zoo. He’s engaged on a bench that includes Jake, the beloved brown bear who died on the zoo final summer time on the age of 39. He’s carving it out of a 1,000-pound log that was hauled to Anchorage from Seward. Thus far Benson has put in near 200 hours on the piece, however nonetheless has a strategy to go.

“That is the largest piece I’ve ever achieved, and when it’s achieved, it’s going to be my biggest piece of artwork ever,” Benson mentioned.

Benson is aiming to have the bench put in on the zoo by the Fourth of July. He needs to incorporate details about Jake in addition to the significance of celebrating nature.

“I consider it’s our accountability to maintain the planet, for us and the creatures,” Benson mentioned.

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