The Pumpkin Master’s Apprentice!
Posted in Programs and Events on October 11 2012, by Matt Newman
At the height of my own pumpkin artistry, I splattered the dining room table with gourd guts, plastered seeds in my hair, and stepped back to admire what could have been a crooked smiley face…if you tilted your head a few degrees. And squinted. It also sort of looked like a bear, I guess. And while being 11 years old was an acceptable excuse at the time, I’m not ashamed to admit I haven’t gotten any better. Of course, coaxing out hidden Halloween talents would have been heaps easier with a champion pumpkin sculptor in my corner. Someone like Mr. Villafane.
For those with young gourd gougers in their midst, October’s Priceless® Budding Masters event offers just the kind of tutelage needed to make a masterpiece of an average pumpkin. Ray Villafane is considered by many (especially me and anyone who’s heard me say this) to be the Michelangelo of the pumpkin carving scene, or the Bernini of “Boo!” if you want to be a goof about it. During last year’s Haunted Pumpkin Garden, our staffers were practically picking jaws up off the floor as visitors stopped to watch Ray in action, conjuring skeletons, zombies, and monstrous spiders from nothing more than a few record-breaking vegetables. This year, he’s back to one-up himself several times over, but not before sharing his unparalleled techniques with a class of young carvers in the making.
The Priceless® Budding Masters workshop is intended for kids ages eight to 15 who not only want to learn the ins and outs of the pumpkin carver’s art, but take part in a team effort to create a giant jack o’ lantern for our display. Once finished, this one-of-a-kind pumpkin will join Ray’s own creeptastic sculptures to be admired by thousands of NYBG visitors during this year’s Halloween festivities. Better yet, each student will have a chance to let their imagination loose on a porch-friendly pumpkin of their own, one which they can bring home for the holiday when they’re finished whittling out its fiendish personality.
For all MasterCard holders, this workshop takes place Saturday, October 20, right here at The New York Botanical Garden, and includes an All-Grounds pass for the student and a parent. Seats are extremely limited for this event, so don’t waste any time snagging a reservation for your child. In the meanwhile, adults looking to pick up some carving techniques of their own to show off this Halloween might want to consider Ray’s Pumpkin Picasso workshop, taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 18. To reserve a seat, email membership@nybg.org or call 718-817-8703 (this event has recently been opened to non-members as well).
If you’re looking to step up your game in the jack o’ lantern department, and put your neighbors’ simple spooks to shame, this coming week is your time to shine! Or glow eerily from behind the drapes, as the case may be. See you all there!
Footer image courtesy of Villafanestudios.com
