Hosted by Governors Island Arts in partnership with Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) and with the expert guidance of Okamoto Studio, the show is an exciting one-day event where visitors will be able to experience live ice carving, enjoy music and warm drinks, and vote on their favorite works for the “People’s Choice Award,” presented to the fan favorite.
Ice sculpture competitions and exhibitions have a long history around the world but are not typically seen on a grand scale in New York City — and are often limited to artists who specialize in ice carving. The Governors Island Winter Ice Show strives to democratize this popular activity, transforming it into one open to all artists regardless of discipline and previous experience.
This year’s show will also feature DJ sets from Red Corvette and DJ Savage curated by Half Moon, an independent music and media company that covers and reinforces emerging culture around the world through radio, events, editorial, and educational workshops with headquarters in New York City and Los Angeles. In addition to food and drink available from year-round Governors Island vendor Little Eva’s, food trucks operated by Black-owned businesses Ms. Spudz and GG’s Fish & Chips will be featured during the event in honor of Black History Month.
Governors Island Arts, the public arts and cultural program presented by the Trust for Governors Island, creates transformative encounters with art for all New Yorkers, inviting artists and researchers to engage with the issues of our time in the context of the Island’s layered histories, environments, and architecture. Governors Island Arts achieves this mission through temporary and long-term public art commissions, an annual Organization in Residence program in the Island’s historic houses, and free public programs and events in partnership with a wide range of cross-disciplinary NYC cultural organizations.
Founded as Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community. Since 1973, LMCC has been the champion for independent artists in New York City and the cultural life force of Lower Manhattan. Curated and presented by LMCC, The Arts Center at Governors Island is an incubator for creative experimentation and a gathering space to engage in dialogue. Work developed and presented at The Arts Center focuses on sustainability and equity.