Lake Geneva is nestled in Wisconsin’s Walworth County. This freshwater glacier lake reaches depths of 135 feet with crystal clear water, offering activities on and near the lake including swimming, boating, fishing and hiking. Each summer, I embrace beautiful memories of walking along the scenic shoreline, taking in the breathtaking view of the palatial homes, amazing architecture, attractive landscaping and the wistful sound of the water abutting against residential lakefront properties.
Nature and art entwined with resilience and creativity
There is resilience in human creativity and it is important to find moments of joy and connection even in challenging times. Stressors weigh on many individuals — wildfires, the passing of loved ones, layoffs and economic uncertainty. However, a different scene unfolds during the winter season in Wisconsin. Imagine the crisp winter air with 15 teams of snow sculptors gathering at the 2025 30th Annual Lake Geneva Winterfest highlighting a competition that showcases artisans’ skill and talent.
Envision amazing artists carving masterpieces from snow. While individuals live with challenging situations to conquer, consider a heartwarming reminder of resilience through another pathway, a welcomed distraction with creativity and the bond of coming together to create beautiful yet fleeting art pieces before they melt away. This invitational is not solely about competition, but also about resilience, teamwork and the shared experience of forming beautiful art.
New Hampshire snow sculpting team
One of my favorite snow sculptures included an elephant, mouse and two ice cream cones carved by the Granite State Snow Carvers of John Woodard, Jeff Brown and Glenn Woodard. I initially spoke to Jeff and Glenn, sharing how much I favored their masterpiece. I appreciated the title of their art work, “Friends,” and their artist statement of two friends “seeking a brief escape from the burdens of the world.”
The team captain, John, began carving from snow after a 2009 snowstorm. John is also a professional sand and pumpkin sculptor and has created many works of art — check out his Instagram here. While he started with snow sculpting, he learned to sculpt sand and pumpkins since snow is sometimes elusive. Jeff is an award-winning pumpkin carver who appeared on the Food Network’s “Halloween Wars.” He joined the snow sculpting team during the 2019–2020 winter season. Glenn, who joined the team around 2017, values outdoor adventures and photography. Many streams of skills, experience and talent blending together to showcase their artistry — I am blessed to witness this level of resilience and talent as I make the annual trek to Lake Geneva’s Winterfest and savor their artwork.
Jeff and Glenn were so kind to indulge me and chat about their experience in Lake Geneva, and I am happy to learn they are well taken care of as they endure the cold and wind, day and night, to sculpt around the clock and pivot as needed to complete their snow gift to the community. I then asked if I could have the pleasure of interviewing their captain, John. I was also honored to have a picture taken with this team.
A snow sculptor’s perspective
For John, mastering the art of snow sculpting has been a journey of practice and observation. “Lots of practice and honestly, going to events and learning how other people sculpt pieces,” John said. “It really comes down to practice, practice and practice.”
When asked about essential skills, he emphasized understanding the audience. “I would say one of the most essential skills for a sculptor is knowing the audience,” he explained. “If you are sculpting for a photograph, it will always look great, especially with snow — know that it’s always reflecting lights, so you really need to work on getting good shadows.”
Planning and design
Before beginning a sculpture, John, Jeff and Glenn carefully consider their audience. “Our strategy is to plan the sculpture with the audience in mind. We usually go for something that appeals to the masses, appeals to the audience. I don’t like political themes, scary things — I want something that is fun and enjoyable and touches on some emotion,” John shared.
Lessons from failure
Like other artistic endeavors, snow sculpting comes with its challenges. John recalled, “I have sculpted in sand that collapsed in the middle of the contest. I think part of the contest is knowing how to pivot. I always say that sculpting is an exercise in change management — how you change when something happens.”
Snow sculpting in art education
John believes snow sculpting has a place in art education, particularly in regions where winter conditions allow for it. However, he shared how it is disheartening to learn some schools are doing away with art programs as he believes art of any kind helps one to learn to be creative and think outside the box, which is the impetus for innovation.
“Yes, I believe snow sculpting should be included in art education, depending on where you are, of course. This type of art education forces you to use a different part of your brain and forces you to be creative to create something, and it’s hard to do that with artificial intelligence (AI). You have to use your brain a little differently when snow sculpting,” he shared.
While some teams embrace technology, his prefers a hands-on approach when brainstorming designs. “I do not like to use AI when I am drafting an idea since I want to create it myself,” he said. “But AI is a great tool to use — you can use AI to help scan images and then create a 3-D image. Though we prefer to initially create a clay model, my friend, Jeff, who is here with us, will create a 3-D digitally printed model. We use that smaller scaled model as our guide when working on a larger sculpted snow piece.”
Finding inspiration
Inspiration can strike from almost anywhere. “Inspiration for our artwork and designs, it really comes from all over. Let’s use this piece when we created it a few months ago. If you think of what the climate was at the time, the political climate, I didn’t want to turn on the news. It was just rough, so I wanted an art piece model of something that made you feel good. I was thinking about two friends going to the park and having ice cream together. This theme worked for us.”
A message to the community
John shared how fun sculpting can be and urges people to get out and try snow, sand or pumpkins. “There are places to take classes, and there is a lot of instructional content online.”
He also expressed gratitude to those who came to Lake Geneva to appreciate the snow sculpting masterpieces. “I want to thank everyone for coming out to see the snow sculptures, supporting our sculpting hobby, and supporting this art form. We love sculpting for you, and we appreciate you coming out; I hope you enjoy it.”
The 15 snow sculptures on display at Lake Geneva are breathtaking displays of ephemeral art — beautiful, yet fleeting. Though the sculptures will inevitably melt away, the joy, inspiration and sense of connection they foster will linger in the memories of those who witness them.
Snow sculpting is not only artistic talent but also an educational value of hands-on creativity, problem-solving, patience and practice. Sculptors continuously refine their craft and inspire others to learn, grow and embrace the art of transformation. When life brings us challenges, events like Winterfest distract us from the seriousness of life and the challenges it brings.
Featured image courtesy Visit Lake Geneva
Edited by James Sutton
