The Biggest pumpkin project

The story

This project was inspired in part by the popular children’s story, The Biggest Pumpkin Ever (1982), written by Steven Kroll and illustrated by Jeni Bassett. It is a timeless tale of how working together is the way to reach monumental goals.

the sculpture

Sculptor Benjamin Mefford will be carving a giant block of granite into a public artwork: a giant pumpkin with a jack’o’lantern face. This stone has been quarried, and arrived at the studio weighing a massive 13,700lbs. The finished dimension of the sculpture will be 4ft tall and 4ft diameter, weighing approximately 7000lbs.

The support

“If you can do it by yourself, you aren’t thinking big enough.”

This project is a simple idea, with a simple design, and will require a ridiculous amount of work. It has been made possible by the support of the Charbonneau Art Association, the Wilsonville Arts & Culture Council, private cash and in-kind donations, grant funding from the Clackamas County Cultural Coalition, grant funding from the City of Wilsonville, grant funding from the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and through special events it will reach more people with help from the Wilsonville High School Art Department, and the Wilsonville Public Library.