Imagine this: you’re driving to Jasper, taking in the beauty of the mountains, and suddenly you see a snow sculpture and another and another.
Then you arrive in town and the streets are littered with them.
That’s Marta Rode’s dream. It came to her in a flash of brilliance following the recent deluge of snow and already she’s purchased the plywood to create two square wooden forms that she plans to rent out to community members who want to help make Jasper into an art-filled winter wonderland.
“My hope is our whole town becomes magical,” she said.
To start it off, she and her daughter Hana have created their own sculpture outside of their Patricia Street home. The completed product is an owl inspired by a character in the film The Penguins of Madagascar.
Rode said she had a blast building it.
“Hana loved it. She was in the form stomping [the snow down] and I was throwing shovel fulls in and completely burying her as she laughed.”
To create a sculpture, you first set up the form, which latches together into a square, and then you fill it up with snow, stomping it down from time to time to compress it into a workable block. Then it’s fair game.
Rode used forks and knives from her kitchen to carve it out and even pulled out a barbecue brush to smooth out the snow.
This isn’t Rode’s first stroke of brilliance. In 2012 she created Jasper’s annual PJ Day, an event that raises awareness and funds for autoimmune diseases.
Her hope is that with this new initiative—which will culminate with a contest and event during Jasper in January—she will be able to again raise the community’s consciousness around autoimmune diseases. Plus, by renting out the forms, she will also be raising funds for her non-profit, Find the Common Thread.
If you’re interested in building your own snow sculpture and competing in the contest, Rode encourages you to call her at 780-852-5773.
“You don’t have to be an artist—just go out and have fun,” she said.
The contest will run from Dec. 11 to Jan. 19. To compete, rent the forms, make a sculpture and then post a photo of your creation on the “Scuplt the Town Jasper” Facebook page.
Stay tuned for more information about prizes and the wrap up party, where the winners will be announced.
Nicole Veerman
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