Minnesota at its Finest: A Guide to the 2018 Art Shanty Projects

Jill Emmer January 24, 2018

Hello! I just love working as the Art Shanty Projects photographer! Fresh air, high energy and lots of creative ideas. Community on ice!

It is such a great activity for families too.

In my previous post I wrote down a few logistics in case you'd like to go. You can read about festival dates, hours, food, bathrooms and policies by clicking here.

This post is a photo guide to all 20 of the shanties:

2018 ART SHANTY PHOTO GUIDE

10,000 Lakes Twister Shanty: This eye-appealing shanty pays homage to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Play Twister on ice and learn about our lakes!

Atlachinolli: The Fire & Water Shanty is a "Sculptural Performance" shanty that is a visually stunning tribute to an indigenous concept that hails from central Mexico.

The Archive Shanty: Some of the beloved Art Shanty artists from previous years are back and this year they're making you smile in the Archive Shanty. This Shanty will make you scratch your head in wonder at the "specimens" and laugh at the same time. Very clever!

BINGO! Shanty: Last year's Chef Shanty has a new roof and a new theme! A giant ball wheel has been installed and guests are invited to play a rousing game of Bingo! This is probably the only place in the entire world where you can play BINGO on a frozen lake!

Cinema Shanty and Ice box Studios: Watch a Zoetrope in action and then slide over next door to create one on your own!

The Department of Everything Else: Exactly as named. A home base for many of the performance artists and small groups.

Fyr Minnesota Shanty: An off-kilter plaid lighthouse with a rainbow stairwell and bird-themed interactions on the second floor. This shanty was created by teens from Leonardo's Basement!

Get In Feel With Your Touchings: Didn't everyone love this game as a kid? Put your hand in if you dare! You may find out that you are the one being probed!

The Lonely Whale Shanty: A fascinating shanty and story. Inspired by the true story that scientists have been recording a lonely whale's calls in the Pacific Ocean for over 20 years now. Enter the belly of the whale and learn more.

Monarch Butterfly Migration Shanty: This colorful shanty provides eye candy and warmth in the grey of winter. It is so fun to learn about the path of the Monarch while on a frozen lake. Take one of their butterfly bikes out for a spin!

The Notary Shanty (or, The Cold Hard Truth Shanty) My son learned a lot in this fun faux wood-paneled office on ice. He had never heard of a notary! He even made a declaration and had it notarized. The people working the shanty are actual notaries! Word is a couple got married there on Sunday. For real!

Phone Valet This little shanty encourages you to leave behind modern connectivity and enjoy some shanty time in analog form.

Revolution Shanty: This shanty was created by artists and students at Southwest High School. It looks at Minnesota's history of revolution and invites you to write your own revolution poetry.

Sonic Shanty: Another great shanty created by returning ASP artists. This shanty invites you to interact with the sounds of a frozen lake. An added bonus is the experience of light reflected from ice. Beautiful in sight and sound.

Team Engine at Cooperation Station: The game shanty. This was my son's favorite shanty. We stayed there for nearly an hour! We played a puzzle that truly had us "puzzled." My son and I left without solving this difficult puzzle that involved all 4 of our wrists in rope. We asked them not to tell us the solution so we could try again next weekend! A fun for all ages shanty!

The Theatre of the Tiny Clandestines: We heard loud laughter coming from the inside of this ornate shanty. I can't wait to return and witness one of their 5-10 minute storytelling skits.

The Thwing: Group swing on the Thwing! To witness 4 people simultaneously swinging on a frozen lake is sure to make you smile! Give it a try! Take the Thwing for a swing! It is fun for all who dare!

The Tomb of the Unknown Minnow: Enter the Tomb of the Unknown Minnow. Pay your respect to one of Minnesota's most popular fishing baits and thank him/her for their service.

Twin Cities Sailing Club's (or TCSC) Sea Shanty: This shanty rocks. Literally. Feel the motion of the lake even when it is frozen.

The Welcome Shanty: The ASP has a new Welcome Shanty this year! It has indoor and outdoor space. This year it includes a large board that has a map and performance schedule posted. Be sure to grab an official program here. This is also where you can become a member and help support this free festival! Members have access to private evening events and other perks!

Why Not Knit! Enter this shanty to meet friendly faces who enjoy teaching others about their craft. This shanty is colorful and cozy and full of interesting stories!

Wish Factory: Make a wish, write it down and put it into the Wish Factory Machine where it is transformed into a token! This cozy shanty is decorated with all things wish-centric: genie lamps, birthday candles, the first star, coins in a fountain, wishbones and more.

And thats a wrap on my photo tour of the 2018 Art Shanty Projects.

Hope to see you out on the ice this year!

Jill

Minnesota at its Finest: 2018 Art Shanty Projects Logistics

Jill Emmer January 23, 2018

They're baaaack!!

Every year 20 colorful ice shanties pop up in a grouping on a frozen lake somewhere in Minnesota. It used to be White Bear Lake. Before that it was Medicine Lake. This year -- it is on Lake Harriet!! Located just a bit south of Downtown Minneapolis and right in the heart of the Twin Cities.

To me this festival IS the heart of the cities. It is us at our best! Braving the elements and celebrating what makes us unique. I am so happy to have it so close to the cities this year.

This village of shanties may have been inspired by the shanties fishermen use.. but the resemblance stops there! These are interactive shanties are created by artists. When you enter an art shanty - you enter another world! You are invited to enter each one of these amazing shanties. This really is a Minnesota Winter "Must Do." Get out there while you can!

LOGISITICS:

The Art Shanty Projects are located on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. They're on the ice - about a block or two in front of the Lake Harriet Bandshell.

They are open every weekend 10am-4pm - no matter the weather! Saturday's & Sunday's from January 20th through Feb 11th, 2018

Attending the Art Shanty Projects is FREE and great for families.

They would love your support. Become a "member" and be invited to their member-exclusive events including an evening on-ice party!

Dogs are welcome to visit - but not enter the shanties.

Parking: Is more difficult this year than other years because the festival is in the cities. Space is tighter and attendance is higher. Try heading there early to get a good spot. The official parking is in the Lake Harriet Bandshell lot and the surrounding neighborhoods. Don't forget to be creative! You can easily find a spot on another side of the lake or even near Lake Calhoun & walk or ski right across the frozen lake! If you do this, be sure to dress appropriately. Wind chills are much more prevalent out on an open lake. It can be windy in the middle of the lake even on a calm day.

Bathrooms: Go before you come. Haha. I know for most of us that isn't going to suffice. There are about 8-10 Port-A-Potties out in front of the bandshell and that's it for bathrooms! Honestly - once you get over the initial strangeness of "going" outside in below freezing temps, it really isn't that bad.

Kid Tips: Parents, prepare like you are going sledding. Dress your kids in tons of layers. Consider leaving no skin exposed. (My sensitive-skinned son had windburn from being out there on a cloudy calm 30 degree day!) Bring snacks and water. Hand warmers if you like. There is NO indoor aspect to this festival. And - you have a gigantic frozen lake as your playground! Bring a ball, bring a sled, a kite, ski's, a picnic, make a day of it! I've seen many forms of little-one transportation: sleds, Bob strollers, backpacks and bike trailers. It depends on the snow/ice conditions but most of these items seem to work well. If you're bringing a stroller - grab a few extra blankets.

Food: Last weekend there were two food trucks there. Most of the time there will be a food truck or two there. I believe that as this festival plants its roots in the cities - more and more food trucks, bathroom and parking solutions will appear!

Wear Boots! This past weekend it was a lovely 30 degrees out and I saw people out there with frozen toes in tennis shoes. No matter how warm it is remember that you are walking on a frozen lake! Walking on ice is coooold on the feet!

I am honored to be the official Art Shanty Photographer. This is my third year and I just love it! I will be also creating a guide to each shanty and will have that out sometime this week as well! You can learn more on their site: www.ArtShantyProjects.Org

See you out on the ice!!

Jetsetting to Denver with Sun Country

Jill Emmer November 20, 2017

On the first weekend of November my son Arlo and I “jetted” off to Denver on a 4 day trip! We were traveling as guests of Sun Country Airlines as a part of their Explorer program. They asked us to help them show off the Mile High destination city!

Last spring Sun County announced their Hometown Lakes Project. They renamed and redecorated over 20 planes as a way for the local airline to pay homage to their home state, Minnesota and its 10,000+ lakes! Each plane is named after a well known Minnesotan lake and has custom artwork in the interior created by Mark Herman.

Arlo and I were excited to see that we were riding the plane named after Lake Harriet on our way out to Denver. That is the lake closest to our home - and it is connected to Lake Calhoun. Arlo’s middle name is Calhoun after the beloved lake that his family loves to run and walk.

When we arrived in Denver - we were greeted with balmy beautiful weather.

We took a long walk through the city & were surprised to see that the fall colors were still prevalent. Doesn’t matter what city or state we are in - Arlo’s top priority is always playing football in a park!

We ended our long walk with pizza at Marco’s Coal Fired Pizzeria (which I would definitely recommend) and headed back to our hotel to get some rest. We stayed in the lovely Magnolia Hotel located in the heart of Denver. The staff was especially charming with Arlo and made him feel like a very special little guest.

The next morning we took our time and grabbed some coffee and hot chocolates to go...

Merely one hour later the skyscrapers of downtown Denver were a distant memory and we were up in the mountains breathing in that magical mountain air!

Lucky for us - Loveland Ski Hill had opened for the season earlier that week. They had two chairs open and plenty of terrain that was just right for Arlo and I!

If you are ever contemplating skiing out west with young kids - Loveland is a great destination to consider. It is smaller than the more well-known resorts like Aspen, Breck and Vail.. which is great for families that like to cruise the greens and blues and save money on lift tickets!

It is also one of the closest hills to downtown Denver.

It was a perfect fit for Arlo and I! Fabulous weather that day as well!

Arlo was SO proud to say that he skied in "real mountains!"

That night we relaxed back at our hotel in downtown Denver.I had my favorite meal of the trip at the Magnolia restaurant Harry’s. Pumpkin ravioli in brown butter sauce topped with pecans and scallops. What a great end to a memorable day!

Arlo and I spent the next few days exploring.

We enjoyed the street art in Denver..

A day trip up to Boulder..

The Chautauqua Park in Boulder provided a stunning backdrop for some more football tossing.

It also was a great place to hike!

We saw Elk and ate pizza in Estes Park, Colorado. Poppy's Pizza and Grill lives up to the hype! Delicious!

We drove up the mountains a little further and came upon a snowstorm in Rocky Mountain National Park!

Overall we had a wonderful time! Besides the day of skiing most of our time in Denver was unplanned... I think we ended up doing a lot more activities spontaneously than we would have if we had planned everything out.

For example, when we were in Boulder I asked Arlo if he'd prefer to walk down Pearl Street to shop and eat or see more mountains. His feet were tired from football and a big hike so he chose to ride in the car and see the mountains. Off we went on an adventure to Estes and Rocky Mountain National Park. That's a lot in one day!

However the car ride to Estes (only about 30 minutes) provided some nice downtime after a long hike in the sun in Boulder.

It all worked out so great! After a nice rest in the car & some lunch - he was recharged!

It seems that we tend to cover a lot more ground and feel that great sense of adventure on days when we are spontaneous and free of expectations!

My favorite part of Denver is the proximity to a wide range of adventures! Art museums, shopping, fine dining, skiing, a college town and a national park all within an hour or two of the city!

This was a special experience for my youngest son and me that we will remember for a long time. I've already got some of these photos hanging on our walls. So happy to have Sun Country as our hometown airline!