Art Shanty, 2008

Art Shanty Project, Medicine Lake, MN, Feb. 9, 2008

Boy was that fun! Cold. Like -20 with wind chill, but a lot of fun! This is the 5th year for the Art Shanty Project, held on Medicine Lake, in the suburbs of Minneapolis.

"Art Shanty Projects is an artist driven temporary community exploring the ways in which the relatively unregulated public space of the frozen lake can be used as a new and challenging artistic environment to expand notions of what art can be.

The environment in Minnesota is challenging; cold being the harshest. Lakes are an often-used medium for recreational activity in Minnesota; winter does not stop this use, but transforms it. One of these uses; ice fishing is a popular winter activity in Minnesota and indeed throughout the world, people often fish from a structure commonly known as an ice fishing house, shelter, shack or shanty. Make shift communities position themselves over the best fishing spots. Deep in winter, the lake ice can get to be 2-3 feet thick, more than enough to support trucks and cars."

There are a number of different Art Shanties. The Shanty of Misfit Toys, the Norae (Karaoke) Shanty, the Pin-Hole Shanty, The Snap-Shot Shanty, The Knitting Shanty, the Giant Robot Shanty, Etc.

Peter Haakon Thompson, Auto Ethnographic HQ Shanty

The Art Shanty Projects are organized by David Pitman and Peter Haakon Thompson (My wonderful host -- Pictured above).


Moments after world record attempt

Yesterday, Robert Marbury organized an attempt to break the World Record for the longest bunny-hop-on-ice. Although we were 1,700 or so people shy of the record, we were still champions!


End of day, Art Shanty Project, Medicine Lake, MN

The wind was harsh and the air was cold, but the shanties were all welcoming and warm. If you are in the area, check it out, it is definitely worth it.

Make sure you stop into the Postal Shanty to send of a postcard, get warm, and have a shot, or two, or three.