Snowking's 6th annual International snow Carving Competition

We are pleased to be bringing up 6 teams for 4 days of incredible carving this February 19-22, 2020. Teams carve at their leisure from 9am-5pm each day. Judging will be at 4pm on Saturday, February 22nd.

Team Tropic Thunder

Visual artists Michel Gignac, Alia Shahab and Eric Heitmann — reference the absurd to come up with subjects for their sculptures. By playing with scale and using odd combinations of easy-to-recognize popular imagery the artists attempt to re-contextualize aspects of everyday life that are easily taken for granted. Within the context of climate change, the choice of snow as a sculpture material becomes very meaningful: the sun and warmth will melt the snow sculpture along with any ideas it represented. Yet the seriousness of the climate crisis does not undo the childlike playfulness and joy of making shapes out of snow.

They have participated in Thunder Bay’s SnowDay Snow Carving Competition (2019) and the Yukon Sourdough Festival’s Snow Carving Showcase (2018). Despite being the only two snow carvings the artists have made, their wildly imaginative sculptures have garnered them the Artists’ Choice Award in Thunder Bay and popular admiration at both events.

Nomadart

Coming from different backgrounds, art (Fabien) architecture (Friederike) and photography (Arnaud) we took the chance to share our experience since 2013 in several Snow festivals in Canada, Italy and Sweden.

Our approach in snow carving is a bit different from the regular proceeding of copy/ paste a model into snow. Our creations are based on one of Fabian’s stone sculptures or a simple sketch which inspires us related to the project or event. Depending on each snow block’s unique character, the initial chosen form is supposed to be remodelled delicately while working on the block. Always following the original idea, we deal with its proportions and the balance of full and empty space. Addicted to straight lines we give our sculptures a graphic character and love to play with light and shadows. In 2017 we founded the Nomad’Art association in order to promote our work around the world but also organising our on improvisation snow festival in the center of France, the Sancy White Art which will be hold for the third time in february 2020. SNOW EXPERIENCE 2019: Snowking festival, Yellowknife, Canada, Festival du voyageur, Winnipeg, Canada, 2018: ICEhotel #29, Snowking festival, Yellowknife, Festival du voyageur, Winnipeg, Canada, 2017: ICEhotel #28, Festival du voyageur, Winnipeg, Silverskate Festival.

Team Ottawa

Coming soon!

The Big Rock Candy Mountain Crew

Two brothers and a good friend who will be for the first time ever carving snow together as a team. Joshua Lesage is a Yukon based artist who has been carving snow for 7 years nationally and internationally. His brother Jocelyn has assisted him with snow carving for two years now. Erin Corbett is a Yukon multimedia Artist based in Whitehorse Yukon She is a graduate with an arts degree at the Concordia University of Montreal.

New Friends

Jodine learned snow carving alongside her family at Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg over many years. She is honored to carve with artist friends at snow carving events. She is returning to Yellowknife for her 3rd year!

Dawn Detarando is a ceramic artist from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Originally from Massachusetts, USA, she received her Bachelor of Fine Art from the Massachusetts College of Art in 1996 and her Master of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University in 1998. Dawn has taught at the College and University levels and occasionally gives workshops and demonstrations in the ceramic arts. She currently runs a successful business Voyager Art and Tile which she co – owns with partner Brian McArthur. They create Public Art and a line of decorative tile for the gift market. In 2009 she won a Lieutenant Governor General Emerging Artist Award in Alberta.

Brian McArthur was born and raised in Red Deer Alberta. He attained an MFA from the Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio in 1997. He has taught and lectured internationally at universities and colleges. In 1999 he and his partner Dawn Detarando created Voyager Art & Tile, a successful business that creates public art and decorative tiles in their personally designed and built studio outside Red Deer.

Brian’s personal work focuses upon Canadian folklore and its importance to identity. He juxtaposes both whimsy and seriousness to capture the essence of his subjects and create a story that resonates with viewers. His sculptural work is recognized and exhibited nationally and internationally.

Team Alaska

Michael Yee, Master Carver: Three year veteran: 24 International Snow Carving Competitions with 34 awards. custom carpenter, snow carver and musician.

Phillip Clark, Master Carver: Three year veteran: 14 International Snow Carving Competitions with 17 awards. custom carpenter, snow carver.

Ken Graham, Master Carver: Original Member, 34 International Snow Carving Competitions with 36 awards Photographer and snow carver. BFA in Photography and a Bachelors of Art and Science in Anthropology from Arizona State University.