FeedsOfficials gear up for Ice Spectacular
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When the weather outside is frightful ice sculptors make art that’s delightful. The artists perform their craft in front of thousands of admirers.Like most Plymouth residents, Mike Watts plans to enjoy Christmas and New Year’s with his family. But, his favorite gifts won’t be opened until January.
For more than a decade, the owner of Watts Up Inc. has organized the Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular –an international celebration of ice sculpture that brings artists together with admirers from southeastern Michigan and beyond.
This January, the ice-carving event will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Watts has lined up more than 200 professional and amateur ice sculpture artists to participate in the silver anniversary of the festival, which is the largest ice-carving event in North America.
Watts said ice sculptures are becoming more popular with each passing year. There are competitions all over the world for ice carving and the 2006 Winter Olympics featured an ice-carving exhibition.
Scott Lorenz, a Plymouth businessman who wanted to generate business for local retailers and hotel owners after New Years, started the event in 1983. From those beginnings, the event has grown into one of the largest ice sculpture events in the nation bringing thousands of people to the Plymouth area every year.
“We expose the world to the restaurants and shops of Plymouth,” said Watts who has been working all year to raise funds to sponsor the festival. “You have to be crazy in love with ice to do the work,” he added.
According to the official website for the event, www.plymouthice.com, it costs more than $125,000 to fund a successful event. All of the costs are covered by donations from corporate sponsors, fundraisers and donations from private citizens who understand the economic boom the event brings to western Wayne County.
Local businesses aren’t the only ones to benefit. Plymouth City Commissioner Ron Loiselle said the event provides the opportunity for local students to learn under the international masters of ice carving.
Loiselle, who is the chairman of the Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Festival Board of Directors, said many young people from local culinary and high schools will have a chance to compete and learn more about ice carving.
“Our students from local cooking schools and high schools will have a chance to compete with each other and learn more about it.”
Career opportunities in ice art are a reality. Several Plymouth area ice artists are considered the best in the country. Tajana Raukar, co-owner of Ice Dreams Sculptures said working with the next generation of artists is her favorite part of the festival.
“ I like to talk to the kids, they really enjoy to see ice sculptors,” said Raukar, an eight time winner of Ice Sculpturing World Championship.
The International Ice Sculpture Festival will take place the weekend of Jan. 19-21.
