Jim Vannet: Carver of wood and stone
“I’ll carve most anything. I’m supposedly retired,” said Hovland-based artist Jim Vannet. “Well, I never worked so hard in my life. But I’m supposedly retired, yes.”
Vannet, a resident of Cook County since 2004, began carving wooden fish decoys for ice fishing around 45 years ago.
“Right now there’s maybe myself and four other people in the state of Minnesota that are carving them by hand anymore,” he said. “It’s just a dying art.”
Vannet was inspired by the technique of using wooden fish decoys for spear fishing that the Ojibwe taught early settlers. “You’re keeping a heritage alive that kept a lot of settlers up here in the North Country alive,” he said. “They got to eat fish when they couldn’t get their deer.”
Vannet enjoys researching fish to ensure his carved fish artworks are accurate, including regional variations in trout. “They’re a chameleon,” said Vannet. “That kind of drives me, too. A lot of the people that I work with, they challenge me.”
Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery has a large glass case devoted to Vannet’s wooden fish and carved stone artworks.
Gallery volunteer Terry Nelson has a favorite Jim Vannet piece – the brook trout. “I love how the metal catches the light, and I imagine it to be just like the fish would be in the water,” she said. She’s also a fan of Vannet’s stone carvings on display.
“I can sit down, start carving. I am totally at peace. If I can use my hands,” said Vannet.
Much as Vannet loves spending hours carving, it has taken a toll on his hands. Carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, trigger finger, and a thumb bone replacement are challenges overcome by Vannet.
“I’ll keep going as bloody long as I can,” he said. “That’s my entertainment. I thoroughly enjoy it.”
Photos, video and the audio interview can be found below.
Chuck Olsen February 21, 2025
