The 2023 Winter Arts Snow Sculpting Festival will take place Thursday, February 9 through Sunday, February 12, with community festivities on Sunday from 12 to 4 PM.
This free, family-friendly event is produced by the Dubuque Museum of Art in partnership with the City of Dubuque’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. Teams of professional, amateur, and collegiate artists sculpt for four days, transforming 288 cubic feet of snow into masterful works of art. The winning team receives a cash prize and is offered the opportunity to represent the state of Iowa at the 2024 U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, WI. A People’s Choice selection is also chosen through online and in-person voting from noon to 4 p.m. following the call for ‘tools down’ on the Sunday of festival weekend.
Birds. food truck will be available for purchase. The community sculpting area will feature themed blocks inspired by Saint-Saëns’ whimsical musical masterpiece “Carnival of the Animals,” in conjunction with Dubuque Symphony Orchestra’s spring family concert.
Learn More
Meet veteran snow sculptor Hugh McCarron and learn about the preparation, tools, and design work that goes into competing at the national level.
Hugh will also share tips and answer questions for anyone interested in learning how to get started working with snow.
With a few simple household tools and a bucket to pack snow in, you can become a snow sculptor at home, or even join the competition yourself.
This event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcomed.
Ricki King of Roots to Branches Genealogy and City of Dubuque assistant planner Chris Happ Olson will discuss what they have discovered in their work on Dubuque’s Black Heritage Survey. This program is the final in a series of free lunchtime programs about genealogy and Dubuque history related to Intimate Exchange: Wendy S. Rolfe and Thérèse Mulgrew. The exhibition and supporting programs are made possible by the Iowa Arts Council, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Trappist Caskets.
DuMA will host an “Afternoon of Music and Contemplation” in support of the Ukrainian people on Sunday, June 12 at 2:00 p.m. at the Museum.
This musical program is sponsored by Sue Lindsay, DuMA supporter and former volunteer. Violinists Hana Velde and Ann Duchow and soprano Hannah Von Mulert will perform Ukrainian folk music as well as works by composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, whose family had Ukrainian roots, and composer Reinhold Gliere, whose music incorporates Ukrainian folk tunes.
While this is a free event, the Museum encourages you to donate to World Central Kitchen.
WCK uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis. From the onset of the Ukrainian War, the WCK Chef Relief Team brought and continues to deliver tens of thousands of fresh nourishing meals daily to Ukrainian cities and surrounding regions, bringing hope and sustenance to those in bomb shelters, hospitals, churches, seniors, and people trapped on the front lines.
Your donation will be used to support WCK’s emergency food relief efforts.
Join us for an in person guided conversation between Biennial artists Louise Kames, Daniel O’Brien and Katie Schutte in the Falb Gallery.
See links below for more info on each of the artists.
Join Heritage Works and friends for an in-person walking tour of the historic Courthouse District. This architecturally significant District served as the center of county government and as the point of entry for Dubuque’s early industrial workforce. At the end of the walking tour, we will also be joined for a very special tour of the Smokestack with our our friends Susan and Scott.
36 E 8th St, Dubuque, IA 52001
