Art Shanties

Yesterday it was above 0F and the sun was out making it the perfect day to head out to White Bear Lake, MN to see the Art Shanty Project. (And when I say White Bear Lake, I mean the middle of the frozen lake.) Art shanties are a play on the traditional ice fishing shanties you see dotting the lakes around Minnesota in the winter. Only these shanties aren’t made for fishing, these shanties are made to make you think, create or just have fun.

Every weekend in February, the shanties are open for people to get out and embrace the winter. Here’s a few scenes from this year’s projects.

Probably the most popular project wasn’t a shanty, but instead to bicycle-powered polar bear made from recycled materials that people could take turned pedaling around the village.

At the Noah’s Ark Shanty, people could make animals from clay while listening to stories about animals from around the world.

Who knows where the Elevator Shanty would take you.

Employees of a local architecture company built the beautiful Curling Clubhouse Shanty where you could even try your hand at throwing a stone or sweeping.

You could warm up in the Dance Shanty, make noise in the Music Box, watch and make zenotropes in the North Flicks Shanty, watch the sunrise every half hour in the Sunrise Shanty, build a giant puzzle in the Jigsaw Shanty or get scared in the Creepy Shanty.

How about trying your hand at an ice skate bike?

The Art Shanty Project runs for one more weekend for 2014. I’m imagining a Just Crafty Enough Shanty for 2015. Hey Susi, how does spending February on a frozen lake in Minnesota sound to you?

You can see more of my pictures from this year and also from 2009 here.