Show · Iowa State Fair 2026
Chainsaw Carvers
⌖ Expo Hill
Gary Keenan has been chainsaw carving for 25 years. All his adult life he's appreciated art, but especially sculpture. He would often admire a sculpture while saying to himself, "I know I could do that, it wouldn't be hard to do". In 2000, a friend had seen the chainsaw carving at the Iowa State Fair and said that it was "very cool" to watch the process. I had heard of it, but had never seen it done. He commented that "I think I could do that". They essentially laughed at him, and challenged him to carve something. The following weekend he carved a fish from a log, it was crude and a slow process....but he was intrigued with it and started experimenting with it on weekends. Four years later he gave up his "day job".....with no looking back as he loves doing this. He have been carving at the Iowa State Fair for over 15 years.