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Skulls, sea creatures and smiles: Check out the snow sculptures at the waterfront in Thunder Bay, Ont.

A mixture of princesses, creatures and abstract art made from large blocks of snow are on full display at the Marina Park in Thunder Bay, Ont., as a snow sculpture showcase takes place on the waterfront.

City of Thunder Bay hosting snow sculpture showcase all week

CBC News ·
Mary Jane MacDonald and Chad Kirvan pose in front of their snow sculpture, named "Henrietta Hermit Crab." (Logan Turner/CBC)

A mixture of princesses, creatures and abstract art made from large blocks of snow are on full display at the Marina Park in Thunder Bay, Ont., as a snow sculpture showcase takes place throughout the week.

Six different individuals or teams of artists entered the contest, which had an open theme, allowing the artists to design and carve any structure they wanted.

Artist Anthony Epp takes a short break while working on his snow sculpture, called "Apotheosis in Crystal." (Logan Turner/CBC)

Chad Kirvan and Mary Jane MacDonald, both of Thunder Bay, have participated in a number of snow sculpture contests in past years.

This year, they chose to carve "Henrietta the Hermit Crab," which Kirvan described as a "warm-hearted, cold-blooded beauty" who is ready to break out of her shell after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The artists had to dig their sculptures out from under a pile of fresh snow that came down over the weekend in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Logan Turner/CBC)

Each of the six artists were given a big solid block of snow by the city, and had several days to carve the snow block into a sculpture of their making.

While each artist has their own process, Kirvan and MacDonald start with some drawings, before developing a clay model. Once they got their snow block on Feb. 16, they cut it down to get the right shape, before slimming it down and adding the intricate details.

The "Snow Skull Mountain" was a favourite for many children walking through Marina Park on Sunday afternoon in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Logan Turner/CBC)

Kirvan and MacDonald, along with the other artists, were out on Sunday, digging their snow sculptures out from the weekend's dumping of fresh snow, and to finish up the final details.

The sculptures are posted on the City of Thunder Bay's website, and people are invited to vote for their favourite sculpture.

People walking along the waterfront in Thunder Bay, Ont., had an opportunity to make their own snow sculptures. One participant poses with the snow mountain she crafted. (Logan Turner/CBC)

Kirvan told CBC News he's hoping to win, but added, "my favourite thing is the immediate feedback.

"People are walking by and when you first start, they're like, 'well that doesn't look like anything. And then on the last day, they're like, 'oh it's this, it's really cool!'"

The miniature snow sculptures, created by members of the public, were laid out in one large snow landscape for all to enjoy. (Logan Turner/CBC)

Anyone walking through Marina Park on Sunday also had a chance to try their own hand at making a snow sculpture, with smaller snow blocks and tools laid out.

The creations — which included snow loons, beavers, aliens and other creatures — were placed together in a miniature snow landscape.

The sculptures will be at the waterfront all week, and online voting for the best sculpture closes Feb. 27.

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