Help Mike Raise $2500 for Art on a Frozen Lake!

During my first winter in Minneapolis, in 2018, I was out on a walk when I stumbled across an art festival: a cluster of small, colorful structures huddled in the middle of a frozen lake in the heart of the city -- a concept inspired by ice-fishing villages. What could be more Minnesotan than that?

As I built a social circle in my new city, I became friends with a few artists who had participated in the festival. Before long, I was volunteering at a shanty, standing out on that frozen lake, billowed by the frigid wind, dressed as a sailor, helping to initiate visitors into an imaginary nautical "cult."

In 2023, I became a shanty artist myself. That fall, I spent most weekends outside of my friend's garage, sawing boards, stapling shingles, and stenciling a giant northern pike onto the side of our structure. Over the course of the next two winters, we invited festival-goers to create short works of cinema in the "on-ice film studio" we created.

In September 2025, I was invited to join the board of the Art Shanty Projects; and then in October, I stumbled my way up to the position of Co-Chair. For the past year, I have had the privilege of supporting the organization on an operational and strategic level. (I also make a lot of dad jokes at board meetings.) 

My work with the program took on another layer of meaning during the federal ICE occupation of Minneapolis (Operation Metro Surge) in the winter of 2026. Being out on the lake, helping to bring joy and art to my community, and refusing to give in to fear, cynicism, and anxiety, felt like a radical act.

It has been incredibly rewarding to contribute so deeply to the organization that created my first impression of the joyfully quirky Minneapolis art ecosystem that I have come to love.

And now, I'm asking you, my dear friends and family, to help me in supporting this year's festival by making a donation! Every little bit helps.

Thanks so much for your support! And happy winter!

Mike