Minnesota 2 | Block #1
Team Name: House of Thune
Sculpture Title: Nature Prevails
Artist Statement: In the distant future, AI loses its control over earth. The innovation intended to enlighten humanity ultimately leads to its downfall. Nevertheless, nature prevails.
Team Members:
- Jason Arney-O'Neil (Captain): Currently based out of St. Paul, Minnesota, Jason is a mixed-media artist with accolades in sculpture. His art career started after an early retirement as a Paramedic in Minnesota. In 2013 he moved to California to become a nomadic sand sculptor. Known as the “Sandman of Avila Beach” he busked on a daily basis, building sand characters from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. Today, Jason still visits California to build sand sculptures, but his artwork has brought him back to Minnesota. Now, working as a theme park sculptor, he also finds time to enter into various sand and snow sculpting competitions. In these mediums, he has won awards as a solo competitor as well as a team member. Jason's fondest memory of being in Lake Geneva is when they sculpted ManBear in snow.
- Dusty Thune: Dusty teaches Special Education in the St. Paul Public Schools and he is an award winning artist, film-maker, writer, actor, director, producer, prop master, costume designer, singer / rock star, and captain of the infamous House of Thune snow sculpting team. Dusty is an ambitious creative that likes to make statement pieces that provoke conversation. His attention to detail, story telling ability, and positive energy have earned him accolades in multiple artistic endeavors, most notably in snow sculpting where he has led the House of Thune snow sculpting team to 5 state championship titles, a 2nd place finish in the US Nationals, and most recently a 1st place finish in multi-block International competition. Dusty is as comfortable in front of a camera as he is gracefully swinging a razor sharp snow spear above his head to perfect the gentle arc of a form.
- David Aichinger: David is a multi-disciplinary artist interested in working with wood, stone, and of course, snow. Over the years his scope of work has evolved to include public art, art education and private commissions. David’s experience in construction, tilework, drafting, and carpentry has led him to be a valuable asset to the House of Thune snow sculpting team. He is the structural and mathematical brain behind the daring components! David's fondest memory of being in Lake Geneva is when they sculpted ManBear in snow.
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