Snow Sculpture in China

This isn't new, but I happened across a great post about the Harbin Snow and Ice Festival--filled with lots of photos.

There are snow sculptures such as the beautiful woman playing a flute (?) as well as sculptures carved from ice--including a full-sized ship you can walk upon!

The temperature in Harbin reaches forty below zero, both Fahrenheit and Celsius, and stays below freezing nearly half the year. This Chinese city is actually further north than notoriously cold Vladivostok, Russia, just 300 miles away. So what does one do here every winter? Hold an outdoor festival, of course! Rather than suffer the cold, the residents of Harbin celebrate it, with an annual festival of snow and ice sculptures and competitions. The festival officially runs from January 5 through February 15, but often opens a week early and runs into March, since it’s usually still cold enough. This is the amazing sculpture made of snow greeting visitors to the snow festival in 2003. ~R Todd King

Check out complete R Todd King's information: http://www.rtoddking.com/chinawin2003_hb_if.htm

Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum

I remember visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum as a young teen and being so impressed with their collection. It was probably my favorite museum for quite a number of years.

Well, Americans do not need to venture to London to see some of the collection--in fact, an exhibition of alabaster devotional sculptures is currently on display at Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine through
June 26.

Alabaster production during the Middle Ages centered on the making and selling of finely decorated, gilded and colored sculpture to churches, nobles, and owners of private chapels. More common examples, however, were intended to brighten the homes and spiritual lives of people of modest means and are now treasured as the folk art of the ordinary medieval English man and woman. Due to this range in intended audience, this assemblage of English alabasters offers an unrivalled glimpse into the spiritual lives, hopes, fears and religious aspirations of both aristocratic and non-aristocratic society during the Middle Ages.

Whether you are interested in devotionals, stone carving or sculpture in general, this would be a good stop if you are in the northeastern part of the US this spring-early summer.

This exhibition is organized and circulated by Art Services International, Alexandria, Virginia. This exhibition is supported by a grant from The Samuel H. Kress Foundation.

Additional information on this display may be found here.

Loveland Stone Sculptor Voted Peoples Choice Award

Congratulations to Loveland stone sculptor Ellen Woodbury for winning the Arts Advocacy Project's first-ever People's Choice award for her owl "See Through Other Eyes: Spotted Owl."

The white marble piece is displayed as part of the art-on-loan program which currently consists of five sculptures of a variety of media from different artists. The pieces all adorn downtown Loveland's 4th Street.

The wonderful owl, carved from Colorado Yule Marble, is on display until May of this year. At that time the sculptures will be rotated out, with a bevy of new works decorating the town.

The Loveland Visual Arts Commission sponsors the Arts Advocacy Project and the People's Choice Awards. Sculptors interesting in applying to have their works displayed in the Sculpture Capital of America can apply at CaFÉ™ . CaFÉ™ (Call for entry) is a resource from the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) and is an online source for artists in of all media to submit works for shows in the Western United States

Congrats Loveland Sculptors!

The team of sculptors from Loveland, Colorado who headed to Japan earlier this month to participate in the 11th annual Japan Cup international Snow Sculpting Competition did not come home empty handed.

While the sculpture is just a memory...snow sculptures, unlike their stone counterparts, are temporary after all..the threesome of Stefan Keinschuster, Jack Kreutzer and Sheldon James came home with 3rd place titles that will never melt in this prestigious art competition.

Starting with blocks of snow that are 10 feet x 10 feet x 10 feet (or 3 meters to be more exact) the Loveland sculptors were the only team to create a representational piece--all other competitors chose to create abstract sculptures.

The talented artists were selected to represent the United States based on the drawing they submitted. The carved and shaped the 15 ton chilly cube of snow into rocks that morph into water, fabric and 2 figures.

Congrats guys--well done!

Loveland Sculptors Heading to Japan for Competition

Fresh on the heels of the 2011 Budweiser Snow Sculpting Competition in Breckenridge this last week, the team from Loveland, Colorado is heading to Japan for more of the cold stuff.

The 11th annual Japan Cup International Snow Sculpting Competition is held in Nayoro, Japan. The Loveland sculptors will be representing not just Loveland, nor even just Colorado, they are representing the United Sates in this competition.

12 countries are represented in this competition after being selected from the sketches they previously submitted. All teams are scheduled to arrive on Monday, Feb. 7.

The blocks of snow are a bit smaller than Breckenridge--starting at 3 meters cubed (about 10 feet) but, like Breckenridge, the area is known for it's fine quality snow that allows for intricate works of art as a result.

Team USA's design will include a rock foundation transforming into water and fabric. Two figures will also be prominent in the piece.

The team members include Loveland artists Stefan Kleinschuster, Sheldon James and Jack Kreutzer.

Breckenridge Snow Sculpture Winners

The 2011 Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships where held last week in Breckenridge, with the sculptors putting down their tools on Saturday Jan. 30. The resulting works of art are available for viewing by the public, weather permitting, through Sunday, Feb. 6.

The artists compete for glory, not money--there is no cash prize for this competition. The event is free to watch...with the only "fee" being $1 to vote for people's choice, $1 = 1 vote. All proceeds from the voting go to funding the event for future years.

1st Place- Team Mexico
2nd Place- Team Canada- Yukon
3rd Place- Team Breckenridge

“Team Mexico definitely took some risks,” said Jenn Cram, judge coordinator and Arts District Administrator for the Town of Breckenridge. “They defied gravity in several areas on the piece, especially with the dragon head. The contrast of thick and thin areas created a wonderful fluidity. Additionally, the piece was covered with finely executed texture that spoke to and had a strong connection to the team’s heritage. Team Mexico’s expression, use of ice for details and overall risk taken resulted in a superbly-executed sculpture with 360 degrees of interest.”

While Team Mexico won the first prize in the eyes of the official judges, both Team Canada-Yukon and Team Breckenridge produced crowd favorites.

People's Choice- Team Canada- Yukon
Kid's Choice- Team Breckenridge
Artist's Choice- Team Canada- Yukon

Photos of the sculptures show the detail the artists are able to achieve.

Team Mexico's winner titled “Alebrije,” depicts three mythological beings of Mexican culture. Team Canada Yukon's "Spirits of the Aurora,” represents the Northern Lights. Team USA Breckenridge's “Underwater,” used the shape of the 12-foot-tall starting block to act as a frame for a below-the-sea scene.

Loveland Sculpture Invitational Change in Schedule

This year there is a change in the schedule for the Loveland Sculpture Invitational...it appears it will not be open on Friday (which is a shame) but the good news is that if you want to see the fantastic works on Friday you can by attending the opening gala. Tickets are $25 for a pair and include wine, beer and food as well as the sneak preview of all the wonderful art.


You can get tickets at the website or at the door on Friday August 6th. The event runs from 4-8pm.

If we don't see you there, come on by on Saturday or Sunday. Admission to the show is still only $5. The show hours are 9:30am-6:00pm on Saturday and 9:30am-4:30pm on Sunday!

See ya!

Sculptor Fritz White Dies After Long Illness

Loveland lost one of her great sculptors this week when Fritz White died after a long illness.

Like many artists who now live in Loveland, White moved here to be close to the art foundry that was essential to his creations.

Fritz White was one of the founding 5 members of the Sculpture in the Park event that happens each August in Benson Sculpture Park. This annual event started in 1985 with just 50 artists and is now the largest juried outdoor sculpture exhibition in the country and has sales of over $1 million.

I never had the honor of meeting the sculptor in person, but have seen works by this gifted artist around our city...one in particular cannot be missed as you drive north or south on US 287, "Winning the Iron Shirt" which depicts one Native American claiming the war shield from his defeated opponent.

One year when I exhibited at the rival/sister show (depending on who you talk to) Sculpture Invitational I was seated next to a fine sculptor who had studied with White. Greg Todd told me that Fritz made all the difference to him when he said (and I roughly paraphrase!) that art is all about the creating...selling anything is a bonus.

Fritz White left behind a wonderful legacy of art, a fabulous show, many friends and admirers. We can honor him best by creating our work and living our lives to the fullest as he did. As his wife, Ina, said, "Show your work and be proud...Just do it. That's his legacy. He just wanted everyone to just do it."

Art: More or Less

How do you gauge success at an art show? Is it more attendance? More participating artists? More pieces sold? More dollars in sales?

I was at two big sculpture shows this weekend. In my non-scientific observation I would say there were fewer artists participating and fewer patrons.

However I did see significant numbers of items being wrapped and carried out.

In today's paper there was a preliminary statement that said they believed more pieces sold this year than in years' past. More pieces, but the average price per piece was less. So a bigger number of pieces but less total dollar revenue.

This might be ideal for the show's organizers, but what about for everyone else?

I think this can be viewed as good news...more people got to appreciate and purchase more pieces from more artists. More pieces were shipped. The wealth was spread around.

In the past, many artists thought they had to go bigger and bigger in order to get the big sale. This year, those that did the best had smaller pieces that were affordable by more buyers.

Perhaps the successful artist was "reading" the market and bringing smaller works. Or perhaps he or she was just doing what felt right. Or perhaps it was different artists who sold.

You can decide that your work is best represented large...and know that you will have fewer sales but each will be a bigger dollar amount (and I know of several very large pieces that sold)...or you can decide that your work is best represented smaller...or perhaps you have a combination of both.

I believe that art is something that comes from our hearts and souls and speaks to the heart and soul of the buyer. Rather than changing your vision, think about how you can make your work be accessible to the buyer...maybe you have a smaller version available or maybe you can offer a payment plan for larger pieces.

The big lesson here is that you can sell art in any market. You have to believe that it is possible.

Benson Park Sculpture Garden Grows

Seven new sculptures have been donated to Loveland, Colorado's Benson Park Sculpture Garden.

Installation of the new works is scheduled to occure in June with a dedication planned at 10am on Saturday July 11.

With these 7 pieces, the Garden grows to 130 pieces.

The new works are "Big Wish" by Linda Prokop, "In the Wind" by Jay Eighmy, "For on Alert II" by David Turner, "Cirque II" by Jack Kreutzer, "Cardiac Relief" by Nicholas Moffett, "Requiem for a Fallen Tree" by Don Rambadt and "Duet" by Jeff Laing.

The first six sculptures are bronze. "Duet" is stainless steel.

The sculptures are paid for from proceeds from the Sculpture in the Park show which happens each August. This year the show is August 8-9th.

For more information about the sculpture show, the dedication ceremony, contact the High Plains Art Council. Their phone number is 970-663-2940. Or visit their website which has a great map of the park, the history of the show and lots, lots more!

Stone Sculptor Ellen Woodbury

I met Ellen Woodbury almost 3 years ago at a workshop taught by Collen Nyanhongo, a master stone sculptor from Zimbabwe. It was fun to get to know her and to see her work on her first stone.

Ellen is a fascinating, energetic, expressive person and her work reflects that. It also reveals her background as an animator for Disney, a position she held for 20 years! Ellen started her sculpting while still employed as an animator...like many sculptors she worked in clay.

So, while Jan. 2006 may have seen Ellen's first stone sculpture, she was no "newbie" in the art world. And it shows!

Ellen's work is simple and complex at the same time. Her pieces tell stories and engage the viewer.

We are fortunate to have Ellen call Loveland, Colorado home...come see her at the Sculpture in the Park show. She has exhibited there for the last two years--showing her stones--quite an accomplishment for a new medium!

Sculpture Show Goes Green

Loveland is a big sculpture town. We have sculptures and sculptors all over town. It is really great to be a part of a place with such an appreciation for sculpture. The world's two largest outdoor sculpture exhibitions both take place in Loveland, and this year they went "green".

These exhibitions take place in August, typically on the hottest weekend of the year. There are of course food and beverage vendors at the shows and smart people are drinking water all day to stay cool and hydrated.

For the first time, it was actually possible to recycle your water bottles at the show!According to Bruce Philbrick, Loveland Solid Waste Division superintendent, attendees recycled almost 3/4 of the waste from these two shows and the Art in the Park craft show. That kept about 19,000 pounds of waste out of the landfill.

Next year perhaps the food and beverage vendors will use recyclable containers for their goods, thereby reducing the landfill contribution even further.

I say congratulations to Philbrick and his organization. By having high-profile events like these demonstrate the importance and ease of recycling we can make our world a better place...and maybe, just maybe, by taking up less land and fewer resources for trash there will be more room for art!

Sculpture In the Park Continues Through Today

Celebrating it's 25th year, The Loveland Sculpture in the Park show opened Friday night with the Patron's Party and to the public yesterday. Another fantastic show, this year blessed by cooler temperatures and some gentle breezes, the show continues today.

Sculpture in the Park started in 1984 and hosts almost 200 artists. Last year more than $1 million dollars in sculpture was sold at this show alone. A percentage of the sales is taken by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council which runs this show with the help of 500 (give or take) volunteers. The funds raised buy sculptures and make improvements to Benson Park Sculpture Garden.

Loveland is indeed fortunate to have enough caring volunteers to put on this show and the show across the way, the Sculpture Invitational. While the majority of the volunteers are put to work during and right before the show, volunteers are needed all year long to pull these shows off!

For more information about the show, click on the title and you will be taken to the Loveland High Plains Arts Council's website.

Sculpture Invitational Opens Tomorrow

Almost 300 artists will be participating in this show. It is estimated that over 4000 sculptures will be on display!

Tomorrow (Friday) is your chance to go for only $3 since the show closes early. The Patron's party (special ticket is required) is in the evening.

About $800,000 worth of sculpture sold last year. Artists pay a fee to be in the show. Those proceeds are donated to local art programs and also toward donating sculptures to the city of Loveland.

Most of the artists come from the US, but last year I met sculptors from Africa and Europe as well.

Click on the title and you'll go to the Loveland Sculpture Group's website about the show for more details.