Artistry of food carving on display in Rockville

With a small pointed knife in her right hand and a honeydew melon in her left, Cohn carved petals into the bald fruit.

"This one's my favorite because of the jade color," she said.

Cohn is a professional culinary carving artist who has trained with professional carvers all over the country, including Food Network Challenge winner James Parker of Virginia.

Just last year she began training to carve professionally and for the last month she has carved watermelon sculptures that are on display in the "From Farm to Market" exhibit at Rockville's Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts, or VisArts, in Town Square.

Cohn has provided a new freshly carved watermelon each week and her latest and final sculpture is on display until the end of the show Sunday.

The exhibit showcases art pieces that demonstrate how people get their food, drawing inspiration from farms and farmer's markets, according to Harriet Lesser, VisArts director of exhibitions and programming.

"Art can be temporary or permanent," Lesser said, referring to the watermelon sculpture.

The sculpture sits among photographs and paintings of sheep grazing in a field, barns sitting on acres of farmland and people buying and selling produce at markets. There is also a life-size cow made of tin from a barn.

Lesser said Cohn's watermelon sculptures are the first real fruit pieces the gallery has ever displayed.

Cohn, 57, said she has been carving fruits and vegetables since she was a 9-year-old living in Vietnam. She would carve carrots, peppers or radishes into small designs to garnish plates to entertain her family.

"Girls are supposed to be entertaining and domestic and show that they have skills," Cohn said. "Whenever I had the chance I'd be doing garnishing."

But as she grew up, she did not have as much time to continue carving and put it aside as she completed school and got a college scholarship in the United States.