Photos from the 2022 Artful Ice Shanties outdoor exhibit at Retreat Farm
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center and Retreat Farm celebrate creativity and local heritage
Vermont Business Magazine The past two winters have seen thousands of visitors attend Brattleboro’s Artful Ice Shanties exhibit, presented by the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) and Retreat Farm. They saw ice shanties shaped like a giant iridescent fish, a black die with moon-shaped dots, a seascape with a three-dimensional octopus, a cockeyed castle, and more.
The wild and whimsical Artful Ice Shanties are coming back for the third time, February 18–26, generously sponsored by Foard Panel, Brattleboro Subaru, and The Marina, and with grant support from the Vermont Arts Council.
“We’re super excited about this year’s exhibit,” said BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld. “For the first time, the shanties are going to be out on the ice at Retreat Meadows. The past two years, we had to set them up on land at Retreat Farm, but the vision was always to have them on the ice, alongside the ‘real’ ice fishing shanties, and this year, that’s where they’ll be.”
Lichtenfeld continued, “As anyone who’s gone skating or snowshoeing at Retreat Meadows can attest, it’s a magical experience. Being out there on the ice is going to add yet another layer of wonder to the exhibit. Of course, that’s all contingent on the weather. If there is any question whatsoever about the quality of the ice, we’ll set up the shanties on land, and the exhibit will go on.”
Visitors are welcome to view the shanties February 18–26, dawn to dusk. There is no fee for admission. Free parking is available at Retreat Farm, and signs will be posted directing visitors to the shanties. A welcome hut with exhibit information and complimentary hot chocolate will be staffed 10–4 each day the exhibit is open.
On Saturday, February 25, at 2 p.m., a panel of local judges will bestow a variety of light-hearted awards during an outdoor Awards Ceremony near the welcome hut. Earlier in the day, the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife will be offering an ice-fishing clinic. For more information and to register for the clinic, visit retreatfarm.org. And in the evening, from 5 to 7 p.m., there will be a free, all-ages, outdoor dance party, with Jaci’s BBQ food truck and the Thirsty Goat Bar on hand to provide nourishment.
Among those constructing shanties for this year’s exhibit are returning builders Annaliese Bischoff, Bruce Campbell, Justin Kenney, Charlie Konkowski, and Rachel Suplee, joined by first-timers Dakota Benedetto, Samuel Daoud, Joshua Farr, Zak Grace, Keene State College’s “Art in Community” class, Angus McCullough, Anne Murphy and Amy Nelson, Matt Neckers, NewBrook Elementary School fourth graders, Ronald Schneiderman, and members of Zea Mays Printmaking studio.
This year’s Artful Ice Shanties exhibit coincides with numerous other events taking place in Brattleboro, including the iconic Harris Hill Ski Jump (February 18–19), Brattleboro’s Winter Carnival (February 18–26), and the opening of “Keith Haring: Subway Drawings” at BMAC, Saturday, February 18, at 5 p.m.
Founded in 1972, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center presents rotating exhibits of contemporary art, complemented by lectures, artist talks, film screenings, and other public programs. BMAC is open Wednesday–Sunday, 10–4. Admission is on a “pay-as-you-wish” basis. Located in historic Union Station in downtown Brattleboro, at the intersection of Main Street and Routes 119 and 142, the museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 802-257-0124 or visit brattleboromuseum.org.
BMAC is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by Brattleboro Savings & Loan, C&S Wholesale Grocers, the Four Columns Inn, Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, and Whetstone Beer Co.
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center www.brattleboromuseum.org
