2027 governors island ice sculpture show
Know before you apply
- New York City-based artists and collectives
- Artists comfortable using power tools
- Teams of up to four people
- No previous ice sculpting experience required
- Must attend in-person orientation in February
- Extra materials paid by the artist
New York City-based artists and collectives/teams (up to four people) are invited to apply to compete in the sixth annual Governors Island Arts Ice Sculpture Show, to be held Saturday, March 6, 2027, on Governors Island. Applicants should submit project proposals that follow the theme of this year’s competition: Traces. We encourage applicants to think outside the box and share with us a creative interpretation of the theme in their proposals.
Proposals will be selected to participate in the live carving event. Selected applicants/teams will receive an award of $2,000 to participate and will be provided with tools and production materials during the event. Selected applicants/teams will also be paired with a professional ice carver to complete the work on the day of the event.
Important Dates
In-person orientation: Date TBD. Applicants should plan to be available during the week of February 22, 2027 and week of March 1, 2027.
Event date: Saturday, March 6, 2027 (Rain Date: Saturday, March 13, 2027)
Public Event & Selection
Selected applicants/teams will carve their sculptures during a two-hour public event on Governors Island, from 12 – 2pm on Saturday, March 6, 2027 (rain date on Saturday, March 13, 2027).
Selected applicants will be notified by Monday, November 30, 2026. Selected applicants must accept invitation to participate by Wednesday, December 9, 2026.
Winning submissions will be announced and published online by January 2027.
Applicants will be required to be on site on Governors Island starting at 10am on the day of the event.