Every time winter rolls around in Minnesota, hundreds of thousands of people are left with only two options: hibernate for the season, or get on with living. The Art Shanty Project was borne out of the latter mentality as a new take on the local sport of ice fishing, in which dedicated outdoorsmen and women trudge out into the cold, go sit on frozen lake in a little shack, drink beer, and stare at a hole in the ice... for hours.

The shanties built by individuals and teams of artists maintain the requisite hole in the ice and positioning on a frozen lake, but that's where the normalcy comes to an end. Located just a short drive west of the Twin Cities, the Art Shanties at Medicine Lake have playfully skewered ice fishing for over seven years every year from late January to early February.

A rotating cadre of artists and their creations unite friends and families in outdoor whimsy during winter's doldrums, with reappearing favorites like The Snapshot Shanty (a photobooth installation made of bubble wrap) and the ArtPost Shanty (the world's only post office on ice) appear year after year. Daily BIcicle Races [sic] held at noon each day on, yes, an ice track encircling the shanties.

In yet another grand challenge to the weather, an outdoor barbecue can often be found providing sustenance to visitors in the form of traditional summer fare.

Notes for visitors: You never know what you'll encounter in the Art Shanties, so come prepared. Wear shoes and clothing appropriate for walking across a frozen (therefore icy), windswept environment for hours at a time, but don't forget a bathing suit should the Sauna Shanty make another appearance!