The Artists
Ice Art 99
Sculptor Participation Information Packet
PATRICIA LEGUEN resides in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She has participated
in numerous art exhibitions, symposiums, and national and internal competitions.
She is a professional sculptor in clay, plasticine, plaster, bronze, soapstone,
alabaster, concrete, snow, ice and sand. Patricia and her team won second
place in Ice Art 96.
CHINA
QU DONG QUN was born in Shen Yang and is a graduate of the Sculpture Department
of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. He is a member of the Chinese Artist
Association, Chinese Sculptors Institute, and Liaoning Artist Association.
He won a bronze medal for his sculpture "Boxer" which was purchased
by the National Olympic Committee.
HONG TAO was born in Harbin and is a graduate of the Sculpture Department of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. He is a member of the Chinese Artist Association, Chinese Sculptors Institute, Liaoning Artist Association and the Chinese Ice Art Institute. He has competed in numerous stone sculpting and snow sculpting competitions and received numerous awards.
ZHANG FENG was born in Shen Yang and is a graduate of the Sculpture Department of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. He is a member of China Artists Association, China Sculpture Association and Director of Liaoning Young Artists Association. In addition to winning numerous awards for his sculptures, many of them are on display in Beijing.
LI DI was born in Shen Yang and is a graduate of the Sculpture Department of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. He is a member of the Chinese Artist Association, Chinese Sculptors Institute, and Liaoning Artist Association. His sculpture "Wish" was selected for display at the Second China Sports Art Exhibition and later purchased by the National Olympic Committee.
ESTONIA
TIIU KIRSIPUU is from Tallinn, Estonia. She was educated in the Estonian
Art Institute, specializing in sculpture. She has been a teacher of sculpture
and lecturer at Tallinn Art University. She has participated in exhibitions
in Estonia, Australia, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Russia, Sweden, United
States, and Costa-Rica as well as competed in numerous snow sculpting
and woodcarving competitions and symposiums.
EUROPE
JUHA AHONEN resides in Finland and learned in sculpt ice in Pello, Finland. He has studied foreign marketing. Someday he hopes to have his own business which will include ice sculpting.
BARBRO BEHM is an artist and sculptress from Kiruna, Sweden, above the arctic circle. She attended art school in Stockholm, Sweden, and Chicago, USA. She has taught art for many yearsÑwood, stone sculpting and painting. She is responsible for the design and construction of the ice church which is built in connection with the ICE HOTEL to include the preliminary ideas and sculptures within the hotel. She has won second and third place in the World Ice Art competitions and has been chairperson and judge in snow sculpting and ice sculpting competitions.
TOMASZ DOMANSKI studied at the State School of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, Poland. He has had one-man and group exhibitions since 1992 in Poland, Czechoslovakia and France. He competed in Ice Art 93 and created the large ice candles in Ice Art 95.
HENRY HUUVA studied and graduated from Alta University of Norway as a teacher in cabinet making. He graduated from the University of Lulea where he studied design and wood construction. He has been working with Lars Samuelson in design studies in Lulea. Henry is a saami man who takes the inheritance of his past seriously,working with wood sculpturing and handicraft. He and Lars Samuelsson placed third.
KIMMO FROSTI is from Finland. He studied ice sculpting in Pello, Finland where they had their first international ice sculpting competition last week. It was called, Blue Ice. This is his first competition in Alaska. Although just a beginner in ice sculpting, he is eager to learn more of ice. He stated that his name "Frosti" is the right name for an ice sculptor. He already has many friends in Alaska and hopes to return again.
LUMIR LANG resides in Rymarou, Czech Republic. He received his degree of Faculty of Economics (Management) from the University of Mines Ostrava. He is fluent in English, Polish, Slovak and a "little bit" of French, German and Russian. Lumir has studied sculpturing, art of carving, art and culture. This is his first time in ICE ART competitions.
MARYATTA NIEMELA resides in Finland and has lived near the polar circle all her life. This is her second ice sculpting competition. She began ice sculpting last October in Pello and found it very interesting.
LARS SAMUELSON studied and graduated from the University of Umea and then studied design and wood construction at the University of Lulea. He is a teacher of carpentry at Swedish high schools and studying at NORD, an adult school of furniture making and design. He and Henry Huuva placed third at the international ice sculpturing competition, Blue Ice, in Finland.
TARJA YLITALO is a singer in Lapland, Pello, Finland. She has three platinum records and five gold records. She get much inspiration from the arctic blue ice of the Tornio River. Her traveling to Alaska is to learn and to compete.
TUOMA YLITALO is from Finland. He became interested in ice sculpting this winter. His hobbies are fishing, Tarja (his wife) and his snowmobile.
TopCOLIN WRIGHT and DERIK WHITTICASE have built formidable reputations working within the field of public art. They are both artist/educators working professionally as sculptors in the public domain and fine art lecturers at Warwickshire School of Art and Design, in England, and Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art and Design, in Ireland. Both artists hold Master of Arts degrees in sculpture, and have attended various International Competitions and Symposia in ice, snow and wood where they have exhibited their unique brand of collaborative sculpture and sense of humor. Colin attended the World Ice Art Championships, in Fairbanks, in 1997, winning the silver medal in the single block classic (abstract category). This is DerekÕs first time in Alaska - be nice to him.
JAPAN
KAZUO NEMOTA is from Tokyo, Japan and is a chef at the Hilton Tokyo Bay Hotel . He has been sculpting ice for the past 15 years and makes up to seven sculptures monthly for wedding ceremonies and banquet parties. He has participated in many snow and ice sculpture competitions and won first place in Daisen in 1998. His first visit to Fairbanks was in 1998 and returned this year to have fun sculpting the gigantic natural clear ice of Fairbanks.
MASAHIRO NAKANO is from Tokyo ,Japan and is a chef at the Hilton Tokyo Bay. He has been sculpting ice for the past three years. He participated in four competitions this year and received a prize in the single block competition in the Mergi Temple Contest. He is very impressed with the size, clarity, and high quality of the Fairbanks ice and hopes he can return to Fairbanks every year to sculpt ice. He loves Fairbanks, the local people and Fairbanks blue ice.
MOROCCO
NADIA HADDOU is one of Morocco's most recognized contemporary sculptors
and painters. She is a graduate of L'Ecole des Beaux Arts de Casablanca
and has represented The Kingdom of Morocco as a sculptor in many prestigious
international events. She was a participant and honoree at the 1997 Smithsonian
Institution's American Folk Life Festival in Washington, DC.
MAITRE BRAHIM AZZAR is a master of many fields of artistry. He has amazed many audiences with his masterpieces. He has a distinguished and unique style from extravagant set designs, to paintings, calligraphy and animations.
RUSSIA
NADYA FEDOTOVA has been sculpting ice in international competitions since 1993. She was a member of the team that won first, second and third place, in addition to peopleÕs choice and artistÕs choice awards. Nadya has given numerous ice sculpting demonstrations in local Fairbanks schools.
VLADIMIR KORAEV graduated from the Moscow Art School and Moscow Art College. He is a professional sculptor in bronze, wood, ceramic, concrete and stone and has participated in more than 30 exhibitions. His works are displayed in private collections in Brazil, Hongkong , Portugal and Moscow. He has participated and erected several monuments in St. Petersburg and in other Russian cities.
SERGUEI LOGUINOV graduated from the Khabarovsk State Pedagogical University . He has participated in many art festivals and exhibitions. He is the designer of the Khabarovsk emblem as well as the Regional Flag. He currently is Vice President of the Local Management of Cultural Development.
ALEXY SHEBOLDAEV is a member of the Union of Russian Artists. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and Moscow Textile Academy and has been teaching painting and drawing. His favorite genre is landscape of towns and villages of the north of Russia. AlexyÕs paintings are in collections in Russia, Spain, the United States, Canada and Japan. He has won Snow Sculpting championships in Colorado in 1993, 1996 and 1997, and in Finland and Russia.
VIATCHESLAV STROKOV graduated from the Khabarovsk State University and Moscow State Pedagogical University. He has participated in both regional and international exhibitions. Since 1997, he has been the dean of the Art Faculty at Khabarovsk State Pedagogical University.
ANDREI TRIFONOV was born in Moscow and graduated from the Fedoskino Art College, specializing in miniature paintings. Since 1995, he has worked in Provideniya as a ivory sculptor. He has participated in many art festivals and exhibitions. In 1998 World Ice Art championships, he won the gold medal, artistÕs choice, and peopleÕs choice.
NIKOLAI ZAVERIAEV specializes in stone and wood sculpting. He graduated from the Art faculty of the State Pedagogical University. Some of his pieces are in the museums of Khabarovsk and Japan. In 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1997, he participated in the World Ice Art Championships in Harbin, China. He currently is chief artist in the local administration.
VLADIMIR ZHIKHARTSEV is a watercolor and acrylic artist. He was born in Krasnodar (near the Black Sea) where he received his art education. He lived in Provideniya for 11 years. Vladimir began sculpting ice in Fairbanks in 1991. Since then, as Captain of the team, he has won first, second and third place, in addition to PeopleÕs Choice and Artists Choice. Beginning in 1993, he and Nadia Fedotova have made numerous ice sculpting demonstrations in Fairbanks schools.
UNITED STATES
CAROL BALDWIN has been in Alaska since 1993 as a member of the US Air
Force. Wood working and word sculpting have been her hobbies for many
years. She became interested in ice while watching the sculptors during
the 1994 Ice Art competition in the Alaskaland parking lot. In her first
ice sculpture, "Nesting Eagle" was in the 95 Fairbanks Open. Her next
opportunity was sculpting a Santa pointing the way for the 97 Yukon Quest
racers at the North Pole Refinery and also entered the Single Block Classic
with an Air Force 50th Anniversary theme.
LAWRENCE BENDALL has lived in Fairbanks since 1985 and works for GCI in the Operations Department. This will be his first time as a participant in ICE ART World Championships
DAVID BERMAN is the Executive Chef of the Greater Fort Lauderdale, Broward County Convention Center. He is also a Master Ice Sculptor participating in national competitions. David owns "Sculptured Ice", South FloridaÕs largest full service ice sculpting company. His artistic talent and tenacity for being able to produce top quality sculptures for a multitude of consecutive hours has earned him the name "Marathon Man."
JOAN BRICE has been a Fairbanks resident for over 30 years. She was introduced to ice sculpting in 1996 by her nephew, Steve Brice. She has always enjoyed art and find working with ice fascinating.
DEREK BLOOM is a 22 year resident of Fairbanks. He participated with Keven Laughlin in last yearÕs Fairbanks Open novice class, Dancing Spirits. If you make a phone call from the ice phone booth, last year, Derek spent many hours getting that ready, in addition to numerous business sculptures in town.
STEVE BRICE was born in Fairbanks. He returned to Fairbanks in 1990 and received his first experience with ice. In 1996, he started to devote more time to ice and less time to sculpting stone. He has traveled all over the world sculpting but Fairbanks is his favorite. In competitions, he has placed fourth, third, second place twice and first three times, one of which was the Olympic trials for the 98 Winter Olympics.
BRAD BROSTROM is a native of Detroit, Michigan, now residing in Berkeley, CA. As a mountaineer and climber, Brad spends much time on ice but this will be his first time sculpting ice in Ice Alaska. He is lending his engineering skills to the Chapin Team which may also include making pancakes and shoveling snow.
HEATHER BROWN is a 23-year resident of Fairbanks. She graduated from UAF Fairbanks with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Mixed Media Sculpture, which included bronze casting and a Minor in Native Arts. A mother of one (and another on the way), she has been creating an assortment of artworks that have kept the creative juices flowing from home, but is thoroughly enjoying being back in the sculpting arena once again for her first season if ice sculpting.
MIMI CHAPIN has been involved in ICE ART off and on since she first met the Chinese in 1988. She interprets languages, sculpts, and is currently covering publicity and public relations.
MARK CHAPIN graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in Illustration. He now lives in Berkeley, California and works for REI where he promotes ice sculpture as a recreation.
AARON COSTIC is a full-time ice sculptor in the Cleveland/Akron, Ohio area with eight years of ice sculpting experience. He currently is the Vice President of the National Ice Carving Association and certified at the level of Master Ice Carver. He received the bronze medal representing the U.S. at the 1998 Winter Olympics, placed first at the 1998 and third at the 1996 National Championships, in addition to winning numerous regional ice sculpting events.
CHARLES DASH is an executive chef at The Luxury Collection, St Regis Hotel, Houston Texas. He has been a chef and ice sculptor for 13 years. In 1998, he won third place bronze in the World ICE ART Championships single block. In 1999, he won the gold in Pello, Finland, in the multiblock.
STEVE DEAN was born and raised in Alaska. He started sculpting fossil ivory in 1976, ice in 1988 and wood in 1993. Steve and Kevin Roscoe won third place bronze medal in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillihammer, Norway. In 1998, Steve and George Koulas were commissioned by Harley Davidson to sculpt a motorcycle scene in front of the Harley Shop.
CARL EADY has been a chef, pastry chef, food and ice sculptor for over 20 years. In 1984 he sculpted his first snow and ice sculpture at Alaskaland while stationed in the Army at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. In 1997 and 1998, his team won first place on the Ice Art competition.
GINA EATON is a resident of Fairbanks and works as a jeweler. She has competed in Fairbanks since 1993 and has traveled to compete in Japan. She graduated of the UAF in 1996 with a BFA.
JASPER EATON is a resident of Fairbanks and works as a carpenter.
JOAN FOOTE is a resident of Fairbanks. She associates with ice art because she enjoys the metamorphosis of a block of ice into some wonderful form and then the disintegration process of this form back to water. To help ensure this ice art event will occur, she participates in the organization and site preparation.
PAUL EWERS works for the Fairbanks City Attorney's Office. He started competing in Ice Art six years ago with his brother-in-law, Tommy O'Malley from Girdwood. For the past four years, Paul, Tommy and another friend, Jimmie Froehlich and Steve Ortland from Anchorage, have sculpted turtles, twirlees and thus created the "Ice Park for Kids." This year, however, his sculpting assistants' schedules prohibit them from returning. Paul is hoping for lots of luck and local assistance in making the Kids Park the biggest and best ever.
LINDA HECK is a lifelong Fairbanksan and has been volunteering for Ice Alaska since 1996. She has been creating unusual costumes for over 10 years. In 1997, Linda was convinced by the British Ice and Snow Sculpting Team, Colin Wright and Paul Hanson, to use her costuming skills to sculpt ice. She teamed up with Paul Hanson and participated in the FairbanksÕ Open. They were awarded ArtistsÕ Choice for their piece, "Just for the Halibut". Linda has been hooked on ice ever since.
CHRISTOPHER HUESSY has his own full-time business "Professional Ice Carving" in Milwaukee, Oregon. He has been awarded top prizes, including gold medals in local as well as international ice sculpting competitions. Christopher and his teammates won first place in the Õ94 Multi-Block realistic competition.
AARON JANSEN was raised in Colorado and has lived in Alaska for the past two years. 1998 was his first experience in sculpting ice where he placed sixth in the single block competition. He was invited to sculpt as an alternate and immediately fell in love with it. He is currently majoring in English and Art Education at UAF.
GEORGE KOULAS was born in the White Mountain Region of New Hampshire. He moved to Alaska in 1990 where he trapped and mined in Caro, a village just south of the Arctic Circle. George began sculpting in 1993 and placed fifth in the single block. In 1996 his team won the bronze and 1997, he and Steve Dean won Artists Choice in the multi-block competition.
KEVEN LAUGHLIN'S first experience in sculpting ice was his participation with Derek Bloom in last year's Fairbanks Open novice class. He has been involved in art "all of my life." His recent participation at a symposium in Passy, France called GLACIALES enabled him to use color and other materials as well as learning various techniques in achieving certain effects. Keven has stated "ice has changed my life."
STEVE LESTER grew up living in an art school in San Francisco. He sculpted in bronze and was first introduced to ice sculpting in 1988 by the team from Qiqihar, China. He teaches sculpture and drawing in Alaska and Europe.
PHELAN McDONALD was born in Chicago, Illinois . He has been working in the culinary trade for the past 18 years in Alaska. He began sculpting small standard-sized blocks in 1986 while working as a cook at an Anchorage hotel. In 1992, he placed fourth in his first competition in Anchorage. He is a painter and sculptor and has an associate degree in Advertising Design.
JEFF MOEHLIN is a 25 year resident of Fairbanks He is a local business manager and has a Minor in Art from UAF enjoying art as a hobby. He was introduced to ice in 1997 winning first place in the Fairbanks Open. He entered the World Ice Art championships in 1998 placing sixth place. For a competitive person like Jeff, sixth is just "not enough." "1999Ñwe hope will be our year. Look out Steve!"
JOHN MYERS began sculpting in 1995. He and partner Wally Perry created a State Trooper "Safety Bear" figure at the Public Safety Office in Fairbanks. The following year, he organized a team and entered the multiblock competition with a thought provoking piece decrying drunken driving. Myers and his team followed up in 1997 with a humorous entry with the same theme. He has no formal training and it showsÑbut his work is entertaining. In 1999, he teamed with Canadian Patricia Leguen on a more serious work.
JENNIFER "JP" PANTER is a native to Traverse City, Michigan. She received her BFA from Western Michigan University. She currently resides in Berkeley, CA, and is working on her MFA at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. She has worked on large environmental projects, such as ChristoÕs Umbrellas joint project for Japan and USA. This is her first time sculpting ice.
DIANE BRISEBOIS PETERSON is a multimedia artist. Her works include stained glass, metal sculptures, environmental art, jewelry designing and most art forms and mediums. She is a member of the National Pen Women of America in Washington DC which includes juried artist, writers, and musicians. Her art works are in private and commercial collections here and abroad.
JOHN RINGHAND was raised in Wisconsin and has lived in Alaska for the pas t22 years. He started sculpting at the age of 10 and now sculpts wood, soapstone, ivory. He was introduced to ice in 1998 competing in the Fairbanks Open. This is his first year competing in World Ice.
SHELDON SHAW began his involvement with ice in 1996 when he first volunteered with Ice Alaska. Stan Zielinski put a chisel in his hand and he began work on his first ice structure. Since that time he has made several large architectural pieces including two arches on the UAF campus. Sheldon and Karrie met and married in 1997 and have been carving partners ever since.
KARRIE SHAW moved to Fairbanks in 1997 and has hit the ground running with her accomplished husband Sheldon. Together they make a great team; Sheldon says she has a great aesthetic sense that compliments his technical skills. This will be her second year of competition.
GEORGE TORASSA has been competing in the World Ice Art championships for the past three years. He acquired his ice sculpting skills as a chef in fine hotels and restaurants and currently holds the position of Executive Chef, Napa Valley Cooking School. Prior to his culinary career, George was a professional baseball player for the San Francisco Giants.
ED TILLOTSON was born in New York and raised in Florida. His passions are sculpture, salt dough, tallow, lard and ice. Ice being his most prestigious form of art, earned Ed a reputation for excellence in the South Florida circle and has his own business "Elegance in Ice." EdÕs tool innovation, spiral end mills, has become a trend in the industry.
DELINE TRUJILLO. The spark ignited and I was hooked about five years ago while assisting an ice sculpturing class for elementary students. I was there as an extra pair of eyes for safety precautions. The instructor decided to give me a piece of ice of my own. There was no turning back. I love it 100%! I try to set the spark for others whenever the subject comes up (usually by me). I look forward to "traveling" every year right here in my own city. I can see and meet people from all over the world without stepping on a plane.
TopJACQUES TOKAR is a native of France and now lives in Los Angeles. ICE ART 98 will be his seventh year competing in Fairbanks. In 1990, he made the world's largest ice cream sculpture, commissioned by Baskin Robbins, of the then Soviet President Gorbachev.
JOHN EDGAR SWORTFIGUER formulated the "Blue Deacons" ice sculpting team which won the Artists Choice with team members Steve Dean, George Koulas and Ingabritt Scholven. He has resided in Fairbanks for the past 17 years and is a laborer with Local 94. He states that his assets to the team are "a strong back and excellent technical eye."
ANITA TABOR is a painter/sculptor and charter member of ICE ALASKA and has competed in Ice Art since 1989. She has competed in Japan, Russia and France for ice and wood sculpting events. Anita and Keven Laughlin traveled to Passy, France in 1998 and were participants in a symposium dedicated to research in ice. Anita is the designer for ALL of the Ice Art pins.
DAVID WAYS has lived in Fairbanks since 1991 and is an engineering technical for the City of Fairbanks. This is the third time he has participated in ICE ART World Championships.
ROGER WING has been sculpting seriously for the past ten years, working figuratively in wood. Berry Nishkian first invited him to sculpt in Fairbanks in 97 and showed him the ropes on their sculpture "Cool Cat". Roger joined Polish sculptor Zigmund Kida and two Alaskan women and constructed their multi-block sculpture "The Tool". Last year he led his first multi-block team with teammate William Purnell of Edmonton, Alberta and teammates from Finland. "Pandora", their sculpture placed fifth in the abstract category. Roger loves the opportunity to meet and collaborate with artists from Alaska and around the world.
STAN ZIELINSKI STAN ZIELINSKI became associated with ICE ALASKA in 1992, in the ice harvesting process as well as sculpting. His training in Art was at the College of Ceramics in Alfred, New York. Since retiring, he and his wife, Marge, have been involved with the International Executive Service Corps, with assignments to Guatemala, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Armenia, Poland and the Independent Republic of Georgia. He and Marge are looking forward to their Golden Wedding Anniversary this year.