Curator of ice block art in Kingston says he needs an assistant
An outdoor art exhibit in Kingston, Ont., featuring bright paintings encased in ice could be melting away for good come spring if no one steps up to help.
Froid'Art was created by David Dossett, who owns a gallery in the city, after he started joining his wife for walks in the downtown core.
Kingston is nicknamed Limestone City due to its many heritage buildings, most of which are scattered throughout downtown.
It makes for a lovely scene during spring, summer and fall, but Dossett said he wanted to brighten the area in winter, when it can become overly grey.
Frozen to prevent vandalism
"You get the lights at Christmas time, but after that everybody pulls the lights in," he said.
He pitched the idea of an outdoor art exhibit to his wife, but she was concerned that such a display could be vandalized.
Dossett's solution was simple — just freeze it.
After five years of running the exhibit, which displays pieces of art painted on plexiglass and frozen in blocks of ice, Dossett has decided to take a step back.
"It's so much work that we can't just have one person co-ordinating it and doing most of the work," he told CBC Radio's Ontario Morning.
'I just can't do it all myself'
Beyond commissioning artists, shipping the plexiglass to a company in Hensall, Ont., to freeze and having them shipped back, Dossett said he also has to hire someone to help him place the 300-pound blocks around town.
He tries to get sponsors to help pay for the art, which he said costs about $300 per piece, but added even that can be stressful.
"After Christmas it's like I spent all my money. So it's always a mad rush to get the final sponsors to do this."
While he is taking a step back from the project, Dossett doesn't think it will be the death knell for the display.
"I hope that maybe somebody decides to take it on, and I am more than willing to do a lot of work on it," he said.
"I just can't do it all myself."
