The City of Dubuque, in partnership with the Dubuque Museum of Art, announces a call for entries for the Winter Arts 2025 Snow Sculpting Festival, to be held Feb. 6-9, 2025, in Washington Park in downtown Dubuque.

Professional, amateur, and collegiate teams from across Iowa and the Greater Dubuque region are invited to apply to participate. A cash prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the first prize sculpting team. All teams are eligible for the People’s Choice award, which is determined by community voting and includes a cash prize of $300.

Entries must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. Proposals can be submitted via email, mailed or hand-delivered to the Dubuque Museum of Art, or through an online application form. Application details are available below or at www.cityofdubuque.org/winterarts.

The Winter Arts Snow Sculpting Festival is an annual celebration of community creativity. This year, the festival is serving as the closing event for DuMA’s landmark exhibition, Dubuque by Design: Celebrating 150 Creative Years. That exhibition inspires this year’s theme: Creative Community.

The general public is encouraged to save the following dates for additional Winter Arts activities in Washington Park:

• Feb. 4, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m. – Volunteers build snow blocks
• Feb. 6, 8 a.m. – Sunday, Feb. 9, 12 p.m. – View snow sculpting in progress
• Feb. 9, 12-4 p.m. – Winter Arts community activities and People’s Choice voting

For more information on Winter Arts, visit www.cityofdubuque.org/winterarts or contact Danielle Stowell, winter arts coordinator for the Dubuque Museum of Art, at dms@wickedriverevents.com or 563-581-6988.

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General Info for Sculpting Teams

All team members must be 18 years or older. Each team shall consist of two to three members. There is no state of Iowa residency for the 2025 competition. Teams from the tri-state area are welcome to compete for cash prizes and People’s Choice award. Professional, amateur, and collegiate teams are eligible; sculptors can only participate on one team. There is no entry fee.

Snow Sculpting Rules

Teams can begin carving on Thursday, Feb. 6, and will have until noon on Sunday, Feb. 9, to complete their sculpture. No media other than snow, ice, and water may be used; colorants may not be added. No armatures are allowed. Sculptors must provide their own tools, including buckets, ladders, and scaffolding. No power tools are permitted. Sculptures must be fully finished on all sides by noon on Sunday, Feb. 9.

Snow Blocks

Each team is assigned a cube of manufactured and packed snow, 6 feet wide and deep by 8 feet tall within the Washington Park sculpting area. Finished pieces may not expand beyond 10 feet in width or depth; height is unlimited. The condition of the snow cannot be guaranteed. In case of significant inclement weather, the competition may be canceled.

Subject Matter

Artists have the liberty of creating representations of realistic or imaginary subject matter. Because the sculptures will be in a public park, the content must be appropriate for all ages. Sculptures must be an original design and not previously executed by the team prior to the competition. No trademarks or logos allowed.

Judging Criteria

Sculptures will be scored, and winners will be determined based on the following criteria:

• CREATIVITY: Originality in composition and design
• TECHNIQUE & CRAFTSMANSHIP: Excellence in execution of proposed design; Effective and interesting use of materials
• OVERALL IMPRESSION: Quality of artistic composition; Audience impact / contemporary relevance

Awards Available

Award will be presented at the awards ceremony at the Dubuque Museum of Art that afternoon.

• First prize cash award of $1,000
• People’s Choice Award: Determined by public vote on Sunday Feb. 9. Includes a cash prize of $300

Additional Information

Download the competition application form or apply online through Slideroom. There is no fee to apply. Proposals must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31. Submission methods include:

• Email to dms@wickedriverevents.com
• Mailed or hand delivered to the Dubuque Museum of Art, Attn: Danielle Stowell, 701 Locust St. Dubuque, IA 52001
• Via the online Slideroom portal.