Snow sculpting a family affair

Blocks of snows are carefully being carved away and shaped to a myriad of different designs in Owatonna’s Central Park as Minnesota Michelangelos vie for the top prize at this year’s snow sculpture contest.
This is the third year of the contest and it serves as the perfect preamble to the city’s Bold and Cold festivities held Jan. 29 to Jan. 31. Christina Spencer and her two daughters, Dalila and  Moira, have participated all three years, winning the competition in the first two.
“We made an owl the first year and baby Yoda last year,” Spencer said.
An artist and sculptor, Spencer said, she relishes the chance to take her skills to a larger canvas. “We’re doing a dragon this year. Every year, I’m trying to do something a little more difficult and see how it goes.”
Spencer said she and her two daughters have improved their technique each year. Tools of the trade include ice-chippers, shovers, hand-made sanders, and a small replica of the final product which Spencer uses as a guide. “I made a model out of clay last year and it worked really well,” she said. “It’s in a grid so I can see it better in the box.”
“It’s hard to get the details in the snow,” Spencer said. “Last year, we had trouble with the fingers because they were so small. One small chip and they might fall off and the snow all around is not sticky so I can’t rebuild it.”
Because the snow is so dense, the initial stages begin with ice-chippers, which Spencer and her daughters use to carve away some of the blocks before getting to the fine detailing of the piece. “It feels almost like it’s ice when you try to carve it,” She said.
“I’m constantly learning, I’ve always worked on a smaller scale but I like working on a larger scale,” Spencer said. “It’s a challenge and I have to come up with new ideas and I’m happy my oldest is getting bigger so she can help out more.”
The most difficult part is the initial carving but after some of the blocks are sliced off Spencer and her daughters begin to give the sculpture its shape. “After we’re done my husband comes and shovels all the snow out for us and does all the heavy cleaning,” Spencer said.
Spencer and her daughters are one of six teams sculpting this year. Each year has had different levels of participation often due to the weather. “The first year was the polar vortex and so we were out here bundled up with goggles carving,” she recalled.
“I love getting my kids outdoors so this is a good excuse for them to stay out loners,” Spencer said of what motivated her to participate in the contest her first year. Since then, she has become the resident expert and only time will tell if one of the other teams can knock her off the podium and take first place.
The snow sculptures will stay up in Central Park until they melt. The carving is set to take place from Jan. 22 to Jan. 27 when the winner will be unveiled. Other events for the Bold and Cold celebration will get underway this weekend including ice-fishing, a sled race, and a snowman building contest.
All of this year’s events are COVID-friendly. “We’re offering some self-paced or guided activities such as the Snowman Building Contest and the Who Melted Frosty Clue game,” Owatonna Parks and Rec Administrative Assistant Jessica Abrahams said. “These activities can be done on the person’s own time without any gathering of people.”
“For our in-person activities such as the Cardboard Sled Race and Family Ice Fishing we are offering multiple time slots,” Abrahams said.  “Also, pre-registration is required for these activities and we are limiting the number of people per time slot to stay within the Governor’s guidelines.  Additionally, we will be taking even more precautions during the actual activities such as sanitizing equipment in-between time slots.”
For those looking to enjoy the winter weather there are plenty of fun opportunities during this year’s Third Annual Bold and Cold celebration scheduled for January 29 through January 30 with some activities, such as the snow sculpture contest, beginning early.