Leland’s Old Art Building holds Icebreaker Challenge outdoor ice sculpting event
From staff reports
The Old Art Building in Leland is hosting an ice sculpting event on Saturday, February 20. The Icebreaker challenge will take place from 10 am–4 pm on the front lawn of the Old Art Building and is free to the public. Meander the pathways to view ice carving in action, enjoy some simple food and beverage options, and warm up at one of several bonfires. The event will include up to 10 sculpting teams from the Leelanau-Grand Traverse area and a professional demonstration by a former ice art world champion.
What does it take to be a world champion ice artist? Sculpting 3,000 pounds of ice in less than 12 hours and then immediately moving into the carving of an additional 300 pounds of ice in two hours. Steven Berkshire, owner of Ice Impressions of Traverse City and a “Former Ice Art World Champion,” will be on site from 11 am–2 pm carving his own design into 600 pounds of ice block. Conversely, ice sculpting teams at the Icebreaker challenge will be comprised of a variety of locals, some of whom are artists and others who are just looking to try something new.
The idea for this first-time event was born from the Old Art Building’s inspiration to offer an outdoor event to the community while people are searching for safe options to get out of the house this winter. The focus is on fun and creativity, and this is not a competition. There is still time to register if you are interested in creating your own ice sculpture. Contact the Old Art Building at (231) 256-9131.
