Lacombe’s Arts Endowment Fund continues to be supportive by unique and innovative projects coming to the city — the latest being “It’s Cold, It’s Icy, It’s Full of Art!”.
The project is a collaboration between the city and art students from Ecole Lacombe Composite High School where the students create unique pieces of art that are auctioned off and then frozen into 300 lbs. blocks of ice in support of the Lacombe Arts Endowment Fund.
“The original idea came from Martello Alley in Kingston, Ont. What they were doing was freezing paintings inside big blocks of ice. People would buy them and then they would be installed in front of their house or business. We thought it was such a cool idea that we asked permission from the galley. They were thrilled,” Organizer Maureen MacKenzie said.
The paintings by the students are currently on display in the foyer of the Lacombe Memorial Centre.
“The kids have painted on Plexiglas and they up for silent auction until the end of the month. Once the auction is over, they will be shipped down to Calgary where they will be frozen into 300 lbs. pieces of ice,” MacKenzie said.
The artworks will return to Lacombe on Jan. 25, where they will then be dispersed throughout the city for all to view and enjoy.
“We will install them throughout the community wherever the buyers have asked them to be placed. It will give January, February and March some really cool things for people tour around the city and look at,” she said, adding that the blocks look even more stunning if LED lights are installed on the blocks.
The project is a first-of-its-kind project for western Canada and MacKenzie was impressed with the art created by the LCHS students.
“The variety of work they have done and the quality of work that is there is outstanding. I couldn’t be happier with what they have produced,” she said.
The auction is available in a binder beside the display in the LMC. If you bid over $200 for a piece, than the art will automatically go to you.
“If you want to bid a lower amount, it will go to highest bidder,” MacKenzie said.
The blocks are designed to melt without creating dangerous ice on the sidewalks and the blocks will be busted open in the spring time.
“We will announce when they are installed and we will have an online map that people can access. They can tour around and see all the pieces,” MacKenzie said.
MacKenzie hopes residents take the opportunity to see all the pieces once they are installed.
“It is a really big boost for the students for them to see their work bid on and sold. That really supports them and all the funds go to the Arts Endowment Fund,” she said.
todd.vaughan@lacombeexpress.com
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