2024 Art Shanty Projects

On Ice Program

Our on-ice program happens each year for four weekends in January & February, though occasionally we have to take a year off due to things like pandemics. Since 2004, artists have been building shanties and creating interactive experiences for winter adventurers, sharing joy through the extreme winter sport of artmaking.

BECOME AN ARTIST OR PERFORMER

This isn’t on the page year-round. But when you have the Call for Artists up, it may be nice to put it on the program page too!

2024 Art Shanty Projects​

Bdé Umáŋ / Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, MN
UPDATED DATES: Weekends, January 27 - February 11, 2024
10am - 4pm

We’re celebrating our twentieth anniversary season of weird and wonderful winters in 2024! We invite grown adults and kids of all ages to play / learn / grow / laugh / smile / sing / groove / gather with us in the Art Shanty village. 

PROGRAM UPDATE as of  2/1/24: Due to warm weather and deteriorating ice conditions, Art Shanty Projects ended early. Thank you to the 10,000 visitors who attended on our one glorious weekend, Jan 27-28!

If you love the shanties and the creative community we foster, please make a donation today to ensure our future. We rely on donations from visitors to fund our program, and with the shortened duration we have a significant budget gap to fill. People have already shown up with generosity but we still have more to raise in order to end this year successfully and begin planning for next time.

LOCATION UPDATE as of 1/19/24: we will be ON ICE starting January 27! 

SCHEDULE UPDATE as of 1/12/24: Art Shanty Projects was scheduled to launch our 20th Anniversary season on January 20 on the frozen water of Bdé Umáŋ / Lake Harriet in South Minneapolis.  As of Thursday, January 11 there is still open water on the lake but incoming subzero temperatures give the possibility of a deep freeze. Construction to essential park infrastructure remains incomplete. Due to these two factors combined we have postponed our opening date to January 27th. The program will end as scheduled, on February 11 with no extension.

Artists + Performers

Our artists have been announced! Read all about the projects! Plan your visit(s) with the Performance Schedule!

Accessibility

ASL Interpretation and Audio Description will be available on all festival dates from 11am-2pm. Head to the Welcome Shanty to get connected with your guide.

CLASSIC SHANTIES ARE BACK!

Artists had great success with the exterior-only festival in 2022 and 2023, adapting with whimsical creativity and expanding the notion of what a shanty project can be! This year we have invited artists to continue that trend OR go back to classic shanties with interior experiences. We’ve got a mix – so if you’ve been waiting to cozy up inside with us, this is your year! And if you’re still not comfortable with that, we got you!

SUPPORT ARTISTS + ARTMAKING!

It takes a village to build a village, and there are many ways to actively participate! We’ll soon be seeking volunteers for the on-ice program – sign up for our newsletter to get announcements. You can also contribute as a member with an annual donation of just $25 or if you’re a local business, offer a cash or in-kind donation!

Map, amenities & more coming soon!