BLOCK #13 | MICHIGAN 1
TEAM NAME:
Team 2 Smiths and a Cow
SCULPTURE TITLE:
Artic Bonds
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Barnaby the barn cat, far from home, left a trail of paw prints in the fresh snow, his quiet journey interrupted by a flash of russet fur—Finn the fox, who paused mid-pounce, his bushy tail leaving a swish mark in the pristine powder. Instead of a chase, a tentative truce formed, born of mutual curiosity in the hushed, white forest. After a few cautious circles, the fox dipped his head, a playful invitation that the cat accepted with a flick of his tail. Soon, they were a blur of orange and black, chasing each other around snow-laden pine trees, their movements a silent, joyful dance that wove new, overlapping patterns into the snow, a unique friendship blossoming in the frozen wilderness.
Team Members:
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Shane Smith (Captain): Shane Smith graduated from Central Michigan University with a bachelor of fine arts with a sculpture major. He's been a maker of many things over the years and it is his career to this day. He grew up in an artistic family. His mother was an art teacher and she is who inspired him to become a snow carver. She invited him to be on her snow carving team at Frankenmuth Michigan, where they carved an Alice in Wonderland sculpture out of a 10x10x20 block. He fell in love with it then and has been carving almost every year since. Carving has become their family’s tradition. His brother and his daughters carve. His sister and her children had teams that carved. In 2020 his twin daughters and he decided to be a team. They carved through rain and placed 2nd their first year, and they’ve continued to carve every year since.
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Chloe Smith: Chloe Smith is 23 years old, and she has grown up carving snow. It all started in the front yard of her childhood home. Every winter they would create snowmen, snow forts, and many other different types of sculptures. Her twin sister and she watched their dad compete at Frankenmuth snow fest, and before they knew it they started a three-man team together. They have carved many sculptures together and even won the competition one year. Snow carving has become a cherished family tradition that has brought them closer together and strengthened the relationship with both her sister and her dad. Every year they look forward to their snow carving event and start brainstorming a design months in advance. Snow sculpting has become an annual tradition, and a special part of her life. It is also a great conversation starter!
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Rebecca Holstein: Rebecca Holstein is so excited to carve again this year! Her dad, twin sister, and she have been carving as a team for five years now. Before they started competing, they would build detailed sculptures and snow forts in the yard as soon as the first heavy snow fell. Then they joined many of their relatives in the Frankenmuth Snowfest competition. Their first prize as a team was a rhino family. She’ll never forget how wonderful it was to see their idea take shape after chipping away at the large block of snow. She loves the whole experience, from brainstorming sculpture ideas to putting the final touches on the finished piece.
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