Volunteers Needed For Winter Arts Snow Sculpting Event Preparations

The Dubuque Museum of Art in partnership with the City of Dubuque Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs will host the 5^th annual Winter Arts 2022 Snow Sculpting Competition and Festival in Dubuque’s downtown Washington Park, February 10–13, 2022.

To prepare for the event, volunteers are needed on Tuesday, February 8 to ‘stomp snow’ inside wooden boxes, forming the blocks of snow that will be carved by sculpting teams throughout the week and during Sunday’s community festival.

What Does It Mean To 'Stomp Snow'?

A critical piece of making Winter Arts happen is creating multiple 6'x6'x8' blocks of snow for sculpting teams to carve for the competition. We also create several smaller blocks to be carved by the public during the community portion of the event on Sunday.

To form the blocks of snow, four large wooden panels are assembled with racket straps and C-claps to make a box. Manufactured snow is dumped into the box, one skid steer bucket at a time. After each bucket load of snow, volunteers climb up a ladder and down another to get into the box. Volunteers use shovels and other tools to break up the snow and then their feet to ‘stomp’ and compress the snow inside the box.

Creating a compact, consistent block of snow is essential for providing the highest quality 'canvas' for sculptors to work from. It is physically demanding but invigorating work that plays a big role in bringing one of Dubuque's most loved community art events to life.

Dates and Times Volunteers Needed

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

Wednesday, February 9 will be offered as a back up snow stomping day in case of inclement weather, or if additional work day is needed.

Details About Volunteering

Two shifts available: 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. or 1:00-4:00 p.m.
- 10-12 volunteers are needed per shift.
- ‘Groups’ of volunteers from local businesses, service agencies, etc. are welcomed.
- If you are not able for an entire shift but are still interested in volunteering, just let us know when you are available.
Lunch provided onsite between 12-1 p.m..
An outdoor tent with a heater for breaks provided.
Volunteers are responsible for wearing appropriate winter clothing. Dressing in layers is recommended so you can remove or add layers to stay comfortable.
Volunteers must be 18 or older and will be required to sign a photo release / waiver of liability form to participate.
Email or call Danielle Stowell, Winter Arts Coordinator for the Dubuque Museum of Art at dstowell@dbqart.org or 563.581.9688, with questions or to signup to volunteer.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

Volunteers will be expected to follow current CDC guidelines; this volunteer opportunity is outdoors but volunteers may work in close proximity to each other. Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html for updated guidelines.

For general information on Winter Arts, visit http://www.cityofdubuque.org/artsandculture or contact City of Dubuque Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator Jenni Petersen-Brant at jbrant@cityofdubuque.org or 563.513.5636.