The Pumpkin Pioneer Carving and Shrinking Punkin Heads Since 1975

Richard L. Bailey was born in Southern California in 1945. He graduated from Brigham Young University (Provo, UT) with a degree in Industrial Arts. In 41 years as a Woods/Metals Shop teacher, he taught in the Salt Lake City School District at Clayton, Hillside, and retired from Glendale Intermediate School at age 66. Teaching was his passion. He loved showing students how to work with their hands as he considered this a critical life skill. Many years were spent in the Boy Scouts of America helping boys work towards their Eagle Scout Awards. Sculpting pumpkins became his favorite Halloween tradition. His own 5 children and his school students loved watching the process of turning an ordinary vegetable into an extraordinary creation. He enjoyed startling other teachers with the realism of these heads, especially catching the new teachers unawares. His pumpkin sculptures have been featured on the local Salt Lake City KSL News, and on the CNN national news program. He died shortly after retirement, just days after his 67th birthday. It was his wish that a book be published showcasing his organic sculpture work to inspire a new generation of artists.