Sneak Peek: Todd Goings

Carousel Carver, Restorationist, and 2024 National Heritage Fellow

Todd Goings: It did what carousels are supposed to do: it takes you into that fantasy for three and a half minutes, and you either go back to the time when you were a kid and riding the carousel, or for the first time riding the carousel and seeing how magical it could be, and being able to touch it and interact with it, it's a giant piece of interactive art, commercial art that people can climb on and get on and walk around and touch and feel and ride. When you could share that with people, the best thing ever is when you stand back and watch everybody get on the carousel, and hoop and holler, and it starts moving and they're happy and excited, they've forgotten about all their problems for a very short period of time, but they're just having fun and waving at each other and looking back at each other, having fun and that's what keeps me going.