A
stunning exhibition of historic, hand-carved
carousel animals that are both works of art and
cultural icons is coming to California State
University, Fresno.
“Carousel Animals at Fresno State” will be shown at
the Henry Madden Library from Saturday, July 16th to
Aug. 27th. Forty-four horses and other animals, plus
displays on carousel history, construction and
popular culture, will be featured in the second- and
third-floor Peters ellipse spaces.
Admission is free.
Animals for the Fresno State display are part of the
collection of Larry Freels of Fresno, considered one
of the world’s best. Freels has been collecting
carousel animals for 37 years.
The
Fresno State presentation will delve into the
history of the carousel, along with a glimpse into
how the animals were crafted by hand, the influence
of carousels on popular culture and a spotlight on
master carver Daniel Muller.
Curator Tobin Fraley, an expert in carousel art and
history who has written several books on the
subject, calls these figures “functional pieces of
fine art.”
“Several of the craftsmen who created these animals
went way beyond what was necessary for constructing
a seat on the ride,” Fraley said. “They were
creating artwork. They were using carousel animals
as a way to make a living but also as a canvas for
their art.”
The
exhibit pieces date from the late 1800s to around
1930. Fraley said that in that period, 2,500-3,000
carousels were constructed throughout the U.S., with
an average of 30 animals on each. But amusement
parks were prone to fire, and he estimates half of
the carousels burned. Another 20 percent were
abandoned, dumped or ruined by hurricanes and floods
over time.
Today, perhaps 15,000 individual wooden figures
remain in both private collections and on working
carousels. The Freels animals are among the top
quality carousel pieces in the world, Fraley said.
The
Fresno State exhibit will be open during Library
hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2
p.m. July 16 and Aug. 13, both Saturdays.
Docent-led tours will be
offered at 10 a.m. Monday-Friday, 2 p.m. Tuesday and
Thursday, and by appointment. Tours can be booked
with Kenlynn Nelson at
kenlynn_nelson@csufresno.edu or
559.278.8342.
Children 12 and
younger who visit the free “Carousel Animals at
Fresno State” exhibition through August 31,
2011, will receive a voucher for a complimentary
ride on the carousel at Rotary Storyland and
Playland at Roeding Park in Fresno.
The vouchers allow
children to ride at the family amusement park near
downtown Fresno anytime until Nov. 13, 2011.
The exhibition at
California State University, Fresno’s Henry Madden
Library features 44 ornately decorated wooden
sculptures from the extensive collection of Larry
Freels of Fresno.
The carousel
animals are not confined to the Peters Ellipse
Galleries on the library’s second and third floors,
but also are spread across the north end of the
first floor, where they’re on view to anyone
strolling in the adjacent Peace Garden.
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