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Art on a frozen lake? Of course, it’s Minnesota!! In recent years, the Art Shanty project started in the Twin Cities. This year’s project, Art Shanty Lake Harriett MN, took place on frozen Lake Harriett in the city of Minneapolis. And here is a link back to “Everything Twin Cities” for a continuing series of posts about the Twin Cities of Minnesota. And now, back to the Art Shanty project. This year’s event features more than 20 unique shanties and over 150 performers.
Arty Shanty Lake Harriett MN
Humble beginnings and growth
Here we are, standing on the frozen surface of Lake Harriett. After a year hiatus, the Art Shanty project is back. The Art Shanty project grew from inspirations created by unique ice fishing houses that dot Minnesota lakes in the winter. Back in 2005, two artists put together a showing of uniquely decorated fish houses on northwest suburban Medicine Lake in Plymouth. In the ensuing years, the project grew and slowly attracted more attendees and artists. The project continued on Medicine Lake until 2012.
The year 2013 became the first hiatus as the project needed to re-engergize. In 2014, the Art Shanty project relocated to northeast suburban White Bear Lake. The event took place there again in 2015 and 2017 as the 2016 winter gave us unstable ice conditions.
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The Move to Lake Harriett
In 2018, the event moved into the City of Minneapolis on Lake Harriett. That year saw 40,000 attendees. The event now included 20 or more exhibits and many performers and events. While the 2018 event was highly successful, sometimes success can be it’s own worst enemy. The Minnesota State Arts Board failed to provide anticipated funding for the next year. The organization decided to cancel 2019’s event. The board focused it’s energy on a sustainable model for 2020 and beyond.
The four weekend event in 2020 shows considerable success. The organization believes a sustainable funding mechanism is in place. Here is a link to the Art Shanty project website. Funding information, including a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts organization, appears on the page. This year’s event will be held every Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM January 18th through February 9th.
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Art Shanty Project
Artists: Silvana Agostoni, Charles Buchwald, Lindsay Larsen, Peter Scherf. Paraphrasing the definition of the exhibit. The Opticon provides a trip into past events. A learning opportunity is provided to show history of both photography and art. The art, as if by magic, projects an image of nearby shanties against the distant lakeshore. Opticon encourages interaction with the image. “See your surroundings through a different lens, literally and figuratively.”
Solar exhibit
Think I took this from the wrong angle! It’s star shaped and demonstrates solar energy. The exhibit was crowded. The Driveby Tourist didn’t have the patience to go inside! (What’s new, right?) The artist is Angie Courchaine. A couple of other spectators explained it as fascinating. Should have stayed to look!
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Pollinator exhibit at Art Shanty Lake Harriett
Artists: Tara Fahey, Janet Groenert, Mina Leierwood, Terry McDaniel, Richard Parnell and Peter Schulze collaborate with educators from the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge, Suzanne Trapp and Thia Xiong. This display emphasizes the need for survival of the Minnesota native garden pollinator, the Monarch Butterfly. My picture didn’t catch the bikes available for riding with butterfly wings. When entering the display, the visitor is transported to Mexican states where Minnesota Monarch’s migrate in winter. Like the other displays, unique!
Self acceptance Art Shanty Exhibit
Artists: Lauren Evans, Brittany Kappel, Alex Legeros, Maren Legeros, Thomas Putzier, Carlie Ridgeway, Christina Stamatoukos, Nicole Wyszynski The display promotes self-acceptance. Walk around and look at it. Contemplate. Walk again. Think. Hmmmm.
And kites fly over the event!
January 26th’s event day featured kites of all kind. Many different kinds of kites flew through the day. The view is looking out toward the far shore of Lake Harriett. Again, hey, we’re standing on “frozen water”!
#artshantyproject
Classic Rock Recollection
“A Hazy Shade of Winter: by Simon & Garfunkel
Time, time time, see what’s become of me
While I looked around for my possibilities
I was so hard to please
Don’t look around
The leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
Written by: Paul Simon
