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The Buffalo News
May 8, 2008
Artist Carves a Niche at Niagara Falls
By Christine A. Smyczynski
A dozen British Royal Guards stood silently, at perfect attention, on either side of the walkway as my daughter, Jennifer, and I entered the Niagara Totem Pole and Woodcarving Park. However, these soldiers weren’t real; they were carved entirely out of wood.Last summer, when we stopped by the park, which is located in the Niagara Glen, a few miles north of the falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, we really didn’t know what to expect. Although, once we stepped inside, we realized that we had just entered a special and unique place.
The park, which opened in June 2006, is filled with over 650 woodcarvings created by one man; Frank Kim, a master woodcarver who was born in South Korea. While many people associate totem poles with Native American or Native Canadian culture, there are actually sixteen nations world-wide that have totem cultures.
As we proceeded into the park, entranced with what we saw, we noticed Mr. Kim working on his latest carving project. He motioned to us to come see what he was doing. He explained that all his carvings were done by hand, using only a chisels and mallets. Skillfully, he chipped away at the wood, and then he invited Jennifer to try her hand at it.
Kim, who settled in Ontario in 1999, has been a woodcarver for the past 28 years, longer if you include when he was a child, learning to carve alongside his father. “I’m the third generation as a woodcarver in my family,” said Kim. “I didn’t like to learn carving at first because I knew that it was hard to make a living as a woodcarver. So I majored in Radio Biology in university, studied about Mother and Child Care in graduate school and also majored in computer engineering. However, as time went by, I got to realize that all these decisions I made couldn’t satisfy me. After my father passed away, I made up my mind to learn more about woodcarvings, adding modern styles to old, traditional styles.”
In Kim’s native South Korea, totem poles are called Jang Seung, which are easily seen when you go to rural villages. Long ago, the purpose for building these poles was to keep the village safe from natural disaster and disease. Today, poles are made mainly as signs, art or decoration.
How did this park happen to be located in the Niagara Glen? “The Niagara Glen has been a nature reserve for a long time, they don’t allow building here,” said Kim. “We all have the responsibility to pass this great nature to the next generation. I believe totem poles are park of nature, so I chose this area for my totem poles. Lucky for me the Niagara Parks Commission understood my perspective and allowed me to have this park here.”
With all these unique carvings, you may wonder where Kim gets his inspiration. “Without planning any design in advance, I try to follow the direction and the shape each tree shows me with my chisels and mallets.” said Kim. “I believe that is given inspiration to me.” Kim works with old trees that have fallen in parks operated by the Niagara Parks Commission.
As mentioned earlier, there are about 650 poles in the park, but Kim doesn’t concentrate on the number of poles. “I don’t expect anything when it comes to the numbers. I do carvings inside the park all summer and enjoy it with the people who want to see my poles or maybe me. Numbers don’t really matter to me, as long as I and the people around me can enjoy it, nothing else matters. I have enough time and energy to fill the park with my poles.” Kim can usually carve one or two totem poles a day, depending on the size and hardness of the tree and the amount of detail in the design.
As you walk through the park you’ll observe that each area has a specific theme. The What Canada Is display focuses on all things Canadian, like hockey, Tim Horton’s and of course, it wouldn’t be complete without Molson’s, eh? In the Facial Expressions section, try to imitate some of the over 200 facial expressions, such as laughing, crying, happy, sad, cheerful and disappointed, all depicted in wood.
Kids will like the area that is filled with popular characters, like Sponge Bob, the Simpson’s and Spiderman. A virtual wooden zoo can be found in the animal section; some are really realistic, like a bear in a tree, while others appear more whimsical.
One of the more ambitious carving projects that Kim is working on is creating 100 Canadian and 100 American soldiers in time to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, which will take place in four years. Soldiers will be in full uniform, compete with musket, pistol and artillery. This display will bring to life the Niagara region’s rich War of 1812 history.
Young children, along with their parents, will enjoy playing 9 holes of mini-putt totem pole golf, which is included in park admission. The park also has a great view of the whirlpool in the Niagara River Gorge.
During the summer, Kim will be demonstrating his carving from 10 am-noon and 2-4pm. However, if a group comes and he’s available, he do carving demonstrations any time. The gift shop has a number of unique woodcarvings created by Kim that you might want to take home as a souvenir of your visit.
The Niagara Glen Nature area, where the woodcarving park is located, has nature trails, hiking paths and a picnic area. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can even hike down into the gorge along a 4 km trail. The closest restaurant is the Whirlpool Restaurant, across the street at the Whirlpool Golf Course.
Other nearby attractions you might want to check out include the Whirlpool Aero Car, an open-air gondola ride across the gorge over the whirlpool. This ride has been in operation since 1916. Also nearby is the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, which has 100 acres of manicured gardens. The 11,000 square foot glass–enclosed Butterfly Conservatory, the largest one in North America, is located within the gardens.
Resources
Niagara Totem Pole & Woodcarving Park (905-401-8485 ; www.niagaratotem.com ) 3050 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls, Ontario, about 8 km north of the falls, across from the Whirlpool Golf Course. Open April 1-May 23 10am-6pm, May 24-August 31 9am-7pm, Sept. 1-Nov. 31 9am-4:30pm. Admission $7 adults, $5 ages 6-12, under 5 free.
Whirlpool Aero Car (905-371-0254) 3850 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls. Open daily 9-5; weather dependent.
Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens (905-358-8633; www.niagaraparks.com) 2565 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls. Open dawn to dusk, free admission. The Butterfly Conservatory is open daily 9-5. Admission is charged.
Directions
From Niagara Falls, NY, cross the Rainbow Bridge and head north on the Niagara Parkway. Alternately, from Lewiston, NY, cross the Lewiston Queenston Bridge and head south on the Niagara Parkway. The Niagara Totem Pole and Woodcarving Park is in the Niagara Glen, across from the Whirlpool Golf Course.
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