By Sarah Ingram, The Herald-Dispatch
KENOVA, W.Va. — On Tuesday, a Huntington artist began her mission of carving the largest pumpkin ever displayed at the West Virginia Pumpkin House, saying it will be a challenge, but she is excited.
Sassa Wilkes, a former art education and drawing professor at Marshall University and art teacher at Cabell Midland High School, began carving the centerpiece with little expectation since it is the first time using this medium for her work. While she has been an artist for the majority of her life and has worked on a variety of mediums, her background is primarily in sculpture.
“I’ve carved a lot of things sculpturally like stone and wood, but everything you carve acts different, so I just decided not to make much of a plan and just wait and see how it wants to behave,” she said.
Wilkes was recruited by Pumpkin House owner Ric Griffith to carve the 1,803-pound pumpkin he purchased for the display. It was grown by Fort Gay native Robert Cyrus, who grows giant pumpkins to participate in weighing competitions…