Governors Island Arts and LMCC To Co-Host 2nd Annual Winter Ice Sculpture Show

Governors Island Arts and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council will co-host Governors Island's second annual Winter Ice Sculpture Show. This one-of-a-kind event will take place on Saturday, February 18, 2023, from 2 to 5p.m. at the Governors Island Winter Village. The festive event provides New Yorkers and visitors from around the world with the singular opportunity to experience live ice carving, alongside all of the open space, cultural, educational, and historic resources and attractions that the Island offers year-round.

"The annual ice sculpture show provides direct support for local artists and brings New Yorkers another joyful, ephemeral public art experience on Governors Island in the winter months," said Clare Newman, President and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island. "This unique event is one of many reasons to visit the Island during the winter season. We can't wait to once again welcome visitors of all ages to come and enjoy music and warm drinks, experience the thrill of live ice sculpting, and vote on their favorite works."

"Governors Island is known as a major hub for the arts and creativity in New York City, the region and beyond, and this ice sculpture competition highlights that synergy and the wonderful programming that has made the Island its home," said Meredith Johnson, VP of Arts & Culture and Head Curator for the Trust. "We look forward to welcoming our artists and a curious public to witness the spectacle of carving ice with a chainsaw, a thrill that has few rivals."

In late 2022, Governors Island Arts and LMCC invited New York City-based artists to submit designs through an open call. Ten designs were selected by an esteemed panel of New York City cultural luminaries and will be brought to life by the artists during this live, marathon ice sculpting session. Each selected artist will be paired with professional ice carvers from Okamoto Studio on the day of the event. Visitors are invited to witness this real-time ice carving and vote on their favorite sculpture for the "People's Choice Award" at the end of the event.

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. Supdz and GG's Fish & Chips will be featured during the event in honor of Black History Month. The Governors Island Winter Village, including the 7,000-square foot ice skating rink, seasonal food options, lawn games, fire pits, and more, will be open to the public throughout the day.

The esteemed jury panel that selected entrants and will select winners includes: Jonathan Gardenhire, Assistant Director of Individual Giving at MoMA PS1; Natasha Logan, Deputy Director of Creative Time; Shintaro Okamoto, Founder/Creative Director of Okamoto Studio, artist José Parlá, and artist Duke Riley.

During the winter months, Governors Island is open to the public daily from 7am to 6pm. Trust for Governors Island-operated ferries run daily between the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street in Lower Manhattan and Soissons Landing on the Island. For schedules and ticketing information, visit www.govisland.org. Trust-operated seasonal weekend Brooklyn ferry service will return in Spring 2023.

Round-trip ferry tickets cost $4 for adults. Governors Island ferries are always free for children 12 and under, older adults ages 65 and up, residents of NYCHA, IDNYC holders, current and former military service members, and Governors Island members. Ferries before noon on Saturdays and Sundays are free for all. There is no surcharge for bicycles or strollers at any time.

NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn route is temporarily bypassing Governors Island through mid-February due to planned maintenance. During this time, Trust -operated ferries continue to run daily every half hour from the Battery Maritime Building. NYC Ferry riders traveling to Governors Island from Brooklyn can take the ferry to Wall Street/Pier 11 and transfer to Trust-operated ferries at 10 South Street. For more information on NYC Ferry, visit www.ferry.nyc.

Governors Island's award-winning park is open to the public every day, along with recreation activities like bike rentals, a Community Climbing Boulder, Hammock Grove, The Hills, Picnic Point, and more. Governors Island Arts public art commissions, including work from Duke Riley, Rachel Whiteread, Mark Dion, and Mark Handforth are also currently on view throughout the Island. Charles Gaines's The American Manifest Chapter Two: Moving Chains will reopen on Governors Island in Spring 2023.

QC NY is open daily on Governors Island, with two heated outdoor pools alongside saunas, steam rooms, relaxation treatments, massages, and a new bar and bistro. This winter also marks the return of Winter Dog Days, where dogs are allowed on Governors Island on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the end of April. Dogs must be leashed while on Governors Island except for in the Weekend Winter Dog Park, located adjacent to Liggett Terrace.

Governors Island has undergone a tremendous transformation over the last decade, including the expansion of year-round public access and the creation of a resilient 43-acre park, a growing arts and cultural program, and remarkable growth in audience. The Island is home to a diverse number of year-round tenants, including the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Billion Oyster Project, Shandaken: Projects, Beam Center, the Institute for Public Architecture, and QC NY Spa, as well as Buttermilk Labs - a new multi-tenant hub for coastal climate solutions announced in Fall, 2021.

The Trust is currently in the process of selecting an anchor educational and research institution as part of the Center for Climate Solutions, a groundbreaking initiative designed to further New York City as a global leader in efforts to respond to the climate crisis. A key part of Mayor Adams' "Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for NYC's Economic Recovery," the project will support the research, development and demonstration of equitable climate solutions for New York City - that can be scaled and applied globally.

About LMCC

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. LMCC envisions New York City as a place in which artists and community in dialogue are creating a more just, equitable and sustainable society. Learn more at www.LMCC.net

About Governors Island Arts

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. For more information, visit www.govisland.org/giarts

About the Trust for Governors Island

The Trust for Governors Island is the nonprofit corporation created by the City of New York that is responsible for the redevelopment and operation of 150 acres of Governors Island. The Trust's mission is to realize the full potential of Governors Island for the inspiration and enjoyment of all New Yorkers, demonstrating a bold vision for public space. For more information, visit www.govisland.org