Finalists For Fourth Annual Governors Island Ice Sculpture Show Announced

Governors Island Ice Sculpture. Feb 19, 2023 © Julienne Schaer

Winning designs range from Island wildlife to celestial-inspired sculptures; pair artists & professional ice carvers for public art installation on February 8 with music from Brooklyn-based Afrofuturist funk duo The Illustrious Blacks

Today, Governors Island Arts announced finalists set to compete in the fourth annual Governors Island Ice Sculpture Show, set to take place on Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 12 to 3p.m. This unique annual event provides New Yorkers and visitors from around the world with the singular opportunity to experience live ice carving alongside the open space, and cultural, educational, and historic resources and attractions that Governors Island offers year-round.

“We are so excited for these artists to carve their creations to life, and for Island visitors to witness this event in Colonels Row for the fourth year in a row,” said Lauren Haynes, Head Curator, Governors Island Arts and Vice President at the Trust for Governors Island. “With our collection of public artworks and performances and programming, the Island is one of New York’s most interesting destinations for arts and cultural experience in all seasons.”

2025 Ice Sculpture Show Finalists:

● Ana Anu (@soopspoon) – “Bear Witness,” Anu’s ecopoetic sculpture that reflects the importance of animism in climate storytelling, will call for audience members to witness the quiet voices of the elemental.

● Elijah Chavez (@lijahchavez.art) – “Lo que pasará, pasará” will depict an anatomical human heart while serving as a community alter inspired by the Mexican customs of the Day of the Dead.

● Jake DeMartini (@thejakeweight) – A nod to 19th-century maritime history, DeMartini’s “Mooring Bollard” honors the titular object’s minimal design and engineering alongside Governors Island’s nautical history.

● Shawn Hill (@ublincd) – Selected in honor of Hill’s childhood creativity, “Tufted Titmouse” will depict this species of bird that is commonly seen on Governors Island.

● Aharon Levy – Levy’s “Governors Island: New York Oasis” will explore the tension between nature and urban environments, depicting a tree encased in ice and offering a reflection on impermanence, climate change, and nature’s resilience.

● Agustina Markez (@agustinamarkezstudio) – Markez will explore the star as a symbol both in the context of nature and pop culture through “Intertwined Stars,” which investigates identity and displacement in relation to American culture.

● Josef Pinlac (@istillheartnewyork) – Pinlac will celebrate pollinators in “Ice ice bay-bee,” incorporating honeycomb designs and honoring the Island’s bee population.

● Sonya Sobieski (@crookedsquare) –Sobieski’s “Looking Out” will depict an oversized pair of binoculars with birds commonly seen on Governors Island etched into the lenses, asking the viewer, “can we look out for nature?”.

● Katerina Sokolovskaya (@katerina.sokolovskaya.art) – In “Nature+,” Sokolovskaya will explore how people coexist with their surroundings, showing how bodies influence one another and interact with the environment.

● Mai Sone (@mai__sone) – In honor of the Island’s acorn-like shape, Sone will sculpt “A squirrel eating Governors Island.”

The ten finalists were chosen following an open call seeking designs inspired by the theme “Governors Island + nature.” Finalists will be paired with a professional ice carver from Okamoto Studio during the free public event on Governors Island on Saturday, February 8, 2025. Visitors are invited to witness this real-time ice carving from 12 to 2 p.m. and enjoy an awards ceremony and ice sculpture installation from 2 to 3p.m.—including the audience-voted “People’s Choice” award. The event will include ice carving workshops from Okamoto Studio, crafts from Red Hook Art Project, live music from disco-infused Afrofuturist funk duo The Illustrious Blacks, and a special performance by NYC-based all-women, trans, and non-binary drumline Fogo Azul. Makina Café will be open in Colonels Row alongside additional food trucks Nao Caribbean Flavors, The Original Soupman, and Deploy Coffee, curated by Four Wheel Feasts.

During the winter months, Governors Island is open to the public daily from 7a.m. to 6p.m. Trust for Governors Island-operated ferries run daily between the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street in Lower Manhattan and Soissons Landing on the Island. Round-trip ferry tickets cost $5 for adults. Governors Island ferries are always free for children 12 and under, older adults ages 65 and up, residents of NYCHA, IDNYC holders, current and former military service members, and Governors Island members. Ferries before 11a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays are free for all. There is no surcharge for bicycles or strollers at any time. For schedules and tickets, visit www.govisland.org/ferry.

NYC Ferry, the city’s public ferry service, also serves Governors Island daily on the South Brooklyn Route during the winter months, with stops in Lower Manhattan and along the Brooklyn waterfront. Schedules and more information available on their website at www.ferry.nyc.

Governors Island’s award-winning park is open to the public every day, along with recreation activities like bike rentals, Hammock Grove, The Hills, Picnic Point, and more. Governors Island Arts public art works, including pieces by Duke Riley, Sam Van Aken, Rachel Whiteread, Mark Dion, Sheila Berger, Shantell Martin, and Mark Handforth are also currently on view throughout the Island. This winter also marks the return of Winter Dog Days, where dogs are allowed on Governors Island daily from December to April. Dogs must be leashed while on Governors Island except for in the Winter Dog Park, located in Colonels Row and open through March.

About Governors Island Arts

Governors Island Arts, the public arts and cultural program presented by the Trust for Governors Island, creates transformative encounters with art for all New Yorkers, inviting artists and researchers to engage with the issues of our time in the context of the Island’s layered histories, environments, and architecture. Governors Island Arts achieves this mission through temporary and long-term public art commissions, an annual Organization in Residence program in the Island’s historic houses, and free public programs and events in partnership with a wide range of cross-disciplinary NYC cultural organizations. For more information, visit www.govisland.org/giarts

Governors Island Arts presents its program with the visionary support of the Ford Foundation, as well the Mellon Foundation, the Charina Endowment Fund, Donald R. Mullen Family Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Gottesman Fund, Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

About the Trust for Governors Island

The Trust for Governors Island is the nonprofit corporation created by the City of New York that is responsible for the redevelopment and operation of 150 acres of Governors Island. The Trust’s mission is to realize the full potential of Governors Island for the inspiration and enjoyment of all New Yorkers, demonstrating a bold vision for public space. For more information, visit www.govisland.org