John’s creative spirit is boundless, he sees Art as a gift to be shared and a tool to bring people and groups together. He has used this spirit in a 25-year involvement with A Carousel for Missoula. He (and many others) began working on this project in the early 90’s. John designed most of the horses and created the dragon ring machine as well as "Scafti" the riding dragon. He also designed and hand painted the murals that line the center of the carousel. Since the opening in 1995, John has continued to donate his time and expertise to The Pony Keepers for A Carousel for Missoula. They help maintain and create new creatures for the Carousel as well as other Carousel’s around the country. His artistic contributions to the Carousel and the City of Missoula resulted in the 2016 Award for “Missoula Volunteer of the Year!”
John's ideas and drawings became the artistic inspiration for the dragon in the design of Dragon Hollow, a park associated with the Carousel in Downtown Missoula. His carving contributions can also be seen with Habitat for Humanity and Missoula Parks and Rec.
If you would like to learn more about A Carousel for Missoula and Dragon Hollow, please visit the website for A Carousel for Missoula. Want to volunteer? Contact Us or the Carousel to learn more!
*Photo credit: Tood Goodrich & Norm Jacobson