Mankato Winter Pride Snow Sculpture

The Sculpture

“Mankato Winter Pride”, aims to bring unity and spirit to the University of Mankato’s Stomper community. It will be a 8’ tall giant snowflake on a pedestal with the Stomper logo at its heart center. Radiating out from the center of the piece, will be the teachings of the Seven Grandfather's representing our indigenous culture, and shared values held by the Mankato community.

In our work we represent those teachings with the teaching circling the snowflake.  At the base, the Seven Grandfather's are carved in relief, encircled by Eagle Feathers as the pillar of the sculpture

The Team: Team Kwe is a group of 3 women artists, each with ties to the Anishinaabe community. 

• Heather Friedli, Team Captain, is an oil painter who lives in Saint Paul and first generation descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, and has family heritage with the Indigenous peoples of Sonora Mexico.  Heather creates landscape paintings about the natural word, creating Land and Heritage Inspired Art.  Heather has been sculpting snow for 13 years, winning both the State Snow Sculpting Championship in 2016, and the National Snow Sculpting Championship in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 2019 on Team Dino Fight. friedliarts.com
• Juliana Welter is Heather’s sister, and an independent artist and a black belt & karate teacher in Minneapolis, MN.  This is Juliana’s 3rd season sculpting snow, and is excited to be back at the State Fairgrounds creating work
• Maggie Thompson is a textile artist and member of the Fond du Lac Tribe of Ojibwe, residing in Saint Paul, MN.  Maggie is well known nationally for her intricately knitted cowls and hats, and has been showcased in several museums regionally for both her textiles and performance artworks.  Lately she has become the face of Indigenous mask wearing and creation during the pandemic, with her work appearing in the New York Times, and on billboards across the Twin Cities adorning her “Ribbon Masks” based on our culture’s Ribbon Skirts worn on ceremonial occasions.

• Heather’s favorite previous work here in the state of Minnesota is her piece “Attack of the Hookjaw”, which won 1st place in the Minnesota State Snow Sculpting Competition in 2016.

Monday

• 8 am- Team builds plywood form for snow compaction
• 9 am- Grounds crew and team fills form + Student Events Team stomps snow
• 11am- Filling and stomp completed

Tuesday

• 7/8 am- Sculpt start time
• 12- Lunch
• 1-5 team back to sculpture
• 6- Dinner
• 7:00 Team begins night sculpting with lights

Wednesday

• 8/9 am- Sculpt start time
• 11 am- team break and last removal of snow 
• 12pm- Lunch
• Team back to block
• Finishing touches/clean up
• 5- Completed Sculpture