They arrived on scooters and bikes, by foot, and in strollers and cars. An estimated crowd of more than 300 people of all ages lined the sidewalk, filled the streets, and camped out on the lawn at Lake of the Isles on Saturday, June 4. They were there to witness the inaugural sharpening of the 16-foot yellow pencil perched on the lawn at John and Amy Higgins’ East Isles home.
John Higgins kicked off the event, addressing the crowd by microphone from a crepe paper festooned dais on his terrace. Flanked by family, friends, and a drum corps featuring snare, bass, tenor, and cymbals players, he told the story of the giant pencil to the growing crowd.
After a storm removed the canopy of the 150-year-old burr oak tree in the Higgins’ front lawn, the family was hesitant to remove the trunk of their beloved tree.
“It felt like we lost a friend, we were devastated,” said Higgins
With a stroke of creative genius, the Higgins’ family decided to repurpose the giant trunk into a sculpture. After making a few inquiries, they selected Minnesota artist and chainsaw wood sculptor Curtis Ingvoldstad for the job.
Higgins described the creative process: “It could have been a knife, or straw, or arrow but very quickly the idea of a pencil emerged.”
Then, taking the microphone, Sculptor Ingvolstad divulged that Greek architecture became a source of inspiration for the pencil, describing how Greek temples appear and then recede in a landscape.
“The temple will be revealed to you and then it disappears, and then as you get closer, all of a sudden you get to this huge thing.” This is precisely the effect the pencil has when viewed from different points around Lake of the Isles.
Between speeches, Higgins and friends deployed giant slingshots to catapult LOTI (for the uninitiated, Lake of the Isles) teeshirts into the crowd from the terrace. The band played. A troupe of costumed Pencil People emerged, performing a TikTok-worthy dance routine perched on the railing of the terrace. Humorist David Reese, author of a book and the purported “number one #2 pencil sharpener,” led a round of Trivia while the Pencil People distributed free LOTI pencils.
The mood was festive as people lined up for free ice cream novelties served from the window of a red, white and blue truck parked in the Higgins’ driveway.
Lakes-area residents and out-of-towners expressed strong opinions about the pencil and the event.
“It’s a very sharp idea,” said Lowry Hill resident Brian Meeker.
“That pencil, it rubs me the wrong way,” said self-professed CIDNA curmudgeon, Dave Rhude.
“It’s really huge!” said eight-year-old Owen Sharp, who traveled all the way from Crystal with his dad and five-year-old sister to see the pencil sharpening.
Finally, it was time for the sharpening. With an announcement from John Higgins, David Reese and Curtis Involsad clambered up the scaffolding surrounding the pencil. With the crowd chanting, “Let’s go, Cur-tis,” Ingsvold hoisted his giant chain saw, and with a roar, began sharpening the pencil. Within a few minutes, the shavings gave way, revealing a graphite tip to the cheering crowd.
After two-plus years of pandemic-related isolation, the pencil proved a point that community, belonging, and connection are essential to our well-being. Hats off to John and Amy Higgins for creating and sharing a delightful, whimsical, much-needed event marked by a spirit of generosity. If neighborhood associations would host awards, I nominate them for “Neighbors of the Year.”
