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Six days after opening on the ice of Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, and after receiving 10,000 visitors, the 

The 20-year-old event, in which artists create themed structures, already had been forced to push back its scheduled opening by a week due to unseasonably warm weather.

Recent forecasts of above-freezing temperatures as high as 50 degrees prompted the decision by the organization to close early.

“I think the disappointment is there, everybody put a lot of hard work into their projects,” artistic director Erin Lavelle said. She spoke on Thursday from the lake, where artists were already removing their structures. 

“You know,” she added, “we are an organization that is dedicated to responding to winter. And sometimes that means dealing with wind and sub-zero temperatures and blizzards. And sometimes, you know, more frequently now, that means responding to warming conditions.”

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This leaves the project with a financial shortfall, as much of their funding comes from donations during the event. Currently, the Art Shanties Projects have raised $33,000 of a $99,000 goal. 

“The financial piece is really important to us,” Lavelle said. “We are asking the community to support us because we don’t have the opportunity to continue our program right now.”

“We just gotta roll with it,” Lavelle added. “We just have to respond to it and take it moment by moment.

The project isn’t completely shuttering for the year: A pop-up event offering a 20-year retrospective of the event will be held at 

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Max Sparber

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The Art Shanty Projects on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis closed six days after opening due to unseasonably warm weather, leaving the organization facing a financial shortfall.

Art Shanty Projects closes due to warm weather

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