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| This translucent shanty is one element of the Art Shanties installation on the frozen surface of Medicine Lake in Plymouth. It was created by artist Jonas Lindberg. Behind it he has installed a bicycle, which pumps water from below the ice. (MPR Photo/Tom Crann) |
Plymouth, Minn. — Even with the warmer than usual temperatures in Minnesota this winter, it's not unusual to see shacks out on a frozen Minnesota lake. The 886 acres of Medicine Lake in Plymouth contain a couple of dozen shacks, but they're not for ice fishing.
The lake has become an art installation for the third winter of Art Shanties. This year, 61 artists have worked on the Art Shanties.
Organizer Peter Haakon Thompson, a photographer, admits that while he isn't an angler himself, the idea of the ice fishing shack was an inspiration for the Art Shanties.
He was taken by the idea of a warm, cozy place to meet, talk and spend time in winter, while still being close to the elements and the light of the lake in all times of day.
His fellow curator, Dave Pitman, a painter, agrees. Like Thompson, Pitman bunks down in his Art Shanty, and lives on the lake for much of the run.
He likes the interaction, not just between the artists themselves, but with other members of the community who come out to the lake for fishing, cross-country skiing or just to take a walk.
Artistically, the projects run the gamut from performance art -- there's even a live zombie show, and tap dancing -- to a collaborative shack worked on by an art class from Armstrong High in Robbinsdale.
There's also a low power radio station, K-ICE at 97.7 FM, featuring audio works and music collages by some of the artists, as well as conversation.
Both Thompson and Pitman say that the sense of place and community improve their work during the months of the year they're not on the ice. MPR's Tom Crann visited them on the ice of Medicine Lake. To listen to their interview, choose the audio link in the right column.
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