The public is invited to watch the creation of the ice sculptures at a dozen downtown locations. Work starts at 10 a.m. on the day of the event, and completed pieces will highlight Northampton’s Arts Night Out from 5-8 p.m. The sculptures will remain on display throughout the weekend—longer, weather permitting.
Tim de Christopher of Turners Falls works on his ice sculpture of a fish at last year's Northampton Ice Art Festival.
NORTHAMPTON—Penny S. Burke is hoping for cold weather.
The executive director of the Northampton Center for the Arts is watching the time melt away until the third annual Northampton Ice Art Festival gets underway on Friday, Feb. 8.
“When you do ice sculptures, you hope for cold,” she said. “The worse thing that can happen is above-freezing (temperatures) or rain.”
The public is invited to watch the creation of the ice sculptures at a dozen downtown locations. Work starts at 10 a.m. on the day of the event, and completed pieces will highlight Northampton’s Arts Night Out from 5-8 p.m. The sculptures will remain on display throughout the weekend—longer, weather permitting.
Ten artists will carve 12 ice sculptures along the streets during Arts Night Out.
“It’s interesting for people to see the artists work,” Burke said. “It’s fascinating. The ice is like a piece of marble….It’s phenomenal what you can do with ice.”
Some of the ice artists are returning for the third time, including professional ice carver Joe Almeida, installation-artist Chris Nelson, painter/sculptor Greg Stone, Spoleto Restaurant carver Ralph Streete and founder of Boston’s “Brilliant Ice Sculpture” Don Chapelle.
David Rothstein, well known for his snow sculpture, will participate for the second time, as will sculptor Tim de Christopher. Mosaic master Robert Markey also will join the group along with local sculptors Sam Ostroff and Matt Johnson.
Chapelle, of North Andover, has been sculpting ice for 35 years. In the last couple of years, he said, new techniques have merged to make ice react to light in more interesting ways.
His professional ice carving began at age 18; he worked at Brookline Ice and Coal while Executive Chef at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and later sculpted ice at the Ice Box in Roslindale.
His creations include everything from fountains and centerpieces to ice bars to large Boston First Night installations. “It’s a lot of fun,” he said, noting that he likes the outdoor work because of the fresh air.
In Northampton he plans a “Game of Thornes Throne” sculpture and one with an aquatics theme.
Burke said the ice art festival is a way to enhance Arts Night Out. “People walk around downtown and visit different venues…it’s a good, collaborative effort to get people out of the house and out on the street to watch this.”
Maps will be available at Arts Night Out locations and are online at www.northamptondowntown.com.
Ice artists and their locations are:
Joe Almeida: Spoleto Restaurant and Florence Savings Bank
Don Chapelle: Thornes Marketplace and the Academy of Music
Tim de Christopher: William Baczek Fine Arts
Matt Johnson: Eileen Fisher
Robert Markey: Silverscape Designs
Chris Nelson: J. Rich Clothing for Men
Sam Ostroff: Eastside Grill
David Rothstein: The Artisan Gallery
Greg Stone: Cathy Cross
Ralph Streete: Mama Iguana's
The Ice Art Festival is produced by the Northampton Business Improvement District in cooperation with the City of Northampton and Arts Night Out.
For more information, call (413) 584-7327.