(Kite aerial photo of dICEHOUSES by MNkitemnan. More of his stupendous photos of the art shanties here.)
Mt. Holly Mayor Mike Haeg says:
Where can one go to pedal up a pot of fresh brewed coffee on a bicycle, take a healthy sauna in a functioning distillery, liberate Poutine and French-Canadians through absurdo-political-mercantilism, hitch a ride in an art car taxi, listen to Chilly Willy pound out a drum solo, confess one's sins in a Norse church, and spend three hours playing the world's largest cribbage board? Why, on the frozen Medicine Lake in beautiful Plymouth, Minnesota, of course.
These are just a few of the artist built ice fishing shacks and programmed events that are a part of the 2009 Art Shanty Projects.
This is the sixth year for the event that challenges artists to create outside of their disciplines and traditional studio-to-gallery environment and to make art accessible and engaging to the bundled up, general public.
The citizenry of Mt. Holly experienced the Art Shanty Projects for the first time last year and we were so inspired, that we submitted our own shanty idea this year; 5 giant, Oldenburg-esque dice stocked with dice, cards, and board games. We call them The dICEHOUSES Shanty. They reintroduce families, friends and strangers to to the conversation, warmth, and closeness fostered by the cadence of table games.
You can follow our building and updates at the dICEHOUSES bLOG.
