Call for Artful Ice Shanties
Calling all artists, ice fishing enthusiasts, tiny house aficionados, and design-builders of all ages and experience levels! You and your friends, family, school, business, or team are invited to participate in Artful Ice Shanties (February 15-23, 2025), presented by Brattleboro Museum & Art Center and Retreat Farm.
The deadline to register is December 16, 2024. There is no fee for entry.
UPDATE: The first 12 people to register will receive a $200 stipend toward supplies and labor, upon delivery of their completed shanty.
Artful Ice Shanties will be displayed on land at Retreat Farm, across from the ice at Retreat Meadows, from Saturday, February 15, through Sunday, February 23.
Your ice shanty can be traditional or conceptual, functional or wacky, permanent or temporary (as long as it can be moved and can withstand the wind, snow, and ice in mid-February as well as exploration by the general public throughout the week), but it must be artful. Past Artful Ice Shanties have included:
— Namaskônek, a shanty inspired by the Algonquin ancestors of the region
— A glass box that used recycled lenses to simulate the experience of the northern lights
— A shanty by third and fourth graders that displayed animals’ winter survival strategies
— An enormous black die with moon-shaped dots
— A shanty that doubled as a working camera obscura
— A shanty in the shape of a giant fish
Check out photos of entries from 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, along with this video from 2021 for inspiration. Learn more about three previous entries on our blog, Art Loves Company.
Certificates will be awarded for notably artistic, inventive, fun, or silly shanties at an outdoor Awards Ceremony on Saturday, February 22, at 2 p.m.
Ice shanties must be delivered to Retreat Farm on February 12-13 and picked up on February 24-25. Builders are responsible for delivery and pickup, but if you need assistance, please let us know.
If you’re interested in participating, please register as soon as possible, as space is limited. After you register, we’ll be in touch to get more details as your project unfolds.
Questions? Contact Stacy Hiler at stacy@brattleboromuseum.org
Generously sponsored by
This project was inspired in part by
Art Shanty Projects.
