Regional Artists Complete 16 Carvings for Syracuse Winter Wonderland Of Ice Festival
Ice carver Mike Evans of Edwardsburg, Mich., endures a self-inflicted cloud of ice shavings kicked up by his electric chisel as he begins work on his second of two ice sculptures at the Uptown Syracuse Winter Wonderland of Ice festival Saturday, Feb. 12.
Text and photos by Ray Balogh
InkFreeNews
SYRACUSE — An octet of intrepid artisans braved a clear but bone-chilling midday to ply their ice carving skills during the 2022 Uptown Syracuse Winter Wonderland of Ice festival Saturday, Feb. 12, an annual event organized and sponsored by the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce.
The carvers each took on two of the 16 sponsored 300-pound blocks of ice shipped in by City’s Pure Ice Inc. of La Porte. The blocks were distributed along the sidewalks in front of business for a block in every direction from the intersection of Huntington and Main streets.
The artist contingent was arranged by Michiana Ice Carvers Association, and included individuals from South Bend, Fort Wayne, Churubusco, Bluffton, La Porte and Edwardsburg, Mich.
Each carving was sponsored by a local business, with carvers receiving $100 for each block rendered into a piece of art relevant to the respective business. Sponsors were:
• Bowen Center
• Cafe Liefde
• Crossroads Bank
• Kelly Jae’s Lakeside
• Main Channel Marina
• Mohawk Pier & Lift
• My Red Moon
• National Fidelity Title
• Northwest Bank
• Peterson’s Fish
• Pro Wake Watersports
• RE/MAX Partners
• Socks Marina
• Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce
• The Papers Inc.
• Track & Channel Bait & Tackle
The number of sculptures was prodigious compared to previous festivals, according to Renea Salyer, executive director of the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce. “The last couple years we haven’t had as many blocks, only six or seven,” she said.
“The festival is becoming more well known, and it has been a great experience this year with a great number of sponsorships. The ice carvers are very talented.”
The carvers began their work at 10 a.m. and were finished by early afternoon. The continued frigid weather ensures that passersby will still have a good view of the artistry throughout the weekend and into next week.
A fuller article on the event will appear in the Wednesday, Feb. 16, edition of The Mail-Journal. Following is a gallery of Saturday’s activities:
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- Andrew Palladino of DreamOn Studios in Warsaw collects some footage for a promotional video for the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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- Stan Horn keeps warm with a double-fisted supply of hot coffee he brought to his outdoor workshop on Main Street.
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- Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Renea Salyer memorializes one of the sculptures and its creator, Ryan Frauhiger of Bluffton, during the Saturday, Feb. 12, Winter Wonderland of Ice festival.
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- Brandon Gump of Fort Wayne works on an ice sculpture for sponsor Peterson’s Fish. He is in his fourth year of ice carving under the tutelage of Stan Horn, who has been an ice carver for more than three decades.
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- Stan Horn of Michiana Ice Carvers Association, works on a sculpture in front of Cafe Liefde in uptown Syracuse. He has been an ice carving denizen for more than 30 years and is enjoying the resumption of his hobby after undergoing back surgery last year. “I’m just now getting back into the swing of it and it feels good,” he said. He opted to carve his Cafe Leifde sculpture in relief, because otherwise “the stems on the leaves would be too thin and fragile.”
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- William Passino, left, and Ryan Eckert, both of Fort Wayne, work on a picture frame sculpture in front of Fidelity National Title on Main Street. The work was designed so children can pose for their picture within the ice-bound frame. “We’re a duo,” said Passino. “That makes for quick work — sometimes.” As for their efforts at the festivai, he said, “It’s all for the children.”
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- Howard Busfield, a 17-year veteran ice carver from South Bend, literally gets down to work on his Adirondack chair sculpture for sponsor My Red Moon.