Dan Stewart, one of the woodcarvers at the Ozark Folk Center who, with Jim Nelson, created the life-size Nativity scene for the Arkansas State Capitol.
This Ozark Folk Center 50th Anniversary Legacy Photo is in appreciation for
Dan Stewart's extraordinary talent.
Sponsored by Kenneth and Janice Sutton.
I think it was 1984 when the State Capitol decided the old paper mâché nativity figures they had displayed for years were just too worn out to use any more. They had sent out letters asking for bids to build new ones, and Kay Thomas, Crafts Director at the Folk Center, brought me the letter with the information on submitting a bid. She asked me if I would be interested in doing something like that.
I had carved several life sized figures before (cigar store Indians and such,) so I thought I would give it a try. I drew up detailed drawings of each figure along with a price for each one. I sent the drawing off and pretty well forgot about it, because I thought I had very little chance of winning the bid. Then weeks later I found out that I had been chosen to make a new nativity scene for the Capitol.
Then it struck me just what a huge task I had taken on by myself so I went to fellow carver at the Folk Center, Jim Nelson, and asked if he would help me with the project and luckily he agreed to work with me. We agreed to split the money 50/50 and that we would both do part of the carving on every one of the figures so they all would be a team effort.
Jim Nelson and Dan Stewart cut the huge catalpa logs down to size with a chainsaw.
I had used catalpa wood many times for my carvings and knew it did not crack as bad as some woods when it dried, so we decided that would be the wood of choice. We started asking around as to where we could find so many large catalpa logs when a frequent visitor to the Folk Center from South Arkansas (I wish I could remember his name, but that’s been 40 years ago) said he could get us a truck load, and the wonderful thing was he would do it for free. Later when we needed more logs, Wanda Stewart let us have some really big ones from her family farm. I have always been grateful for both of their generosity.
The carvings were done in the off-season at the Folk Center. It was great that they let us use the carving shop to work on the figures. The first year we completed Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, a shepherd and a sheep. The next year we did the wise men and couple more sheep and the final year a donkey and a camel. The donkey and the camel had to have their legs added and the camel was split in two and hollowed out to lessen the weight. When we delivered the camel we just strapped him down standing up in the back of my pickup truck with his head sticking up over the cab. I thought we were going to cause a wreck going down the interstate because everyone kept looking at him not believing what they were seeing.
There has been come controversy through the years about the nativity being at the Capitol but it is still put out every Christmas season in a custom made stable just off the grounds. It has been taken very good care of by a wonderful lady by the name of Judy Beard and her crew of volunteers.
I have felt honored to have been involved in the carving of the nativity. It has touched so many people in a positive way. There was a man that came through the Folk Center one time and when he found out I had carved those figures, he told me that he and his wife would regularly go to see the display at Christmas time and with tears in his eyes, told me his wife had passed away but he still went every year because it meant so much to her. I have felt blessed to have been involved in the carving of the nativity, it has touched so many people in a positive way.
Entry by Dan Stewart.
The Committee of One Hundred Tribute Wall recognizes contributions to the preservation of Ozark folk culture.
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