I heard about the Ice House Detroit project back when it was still in its funding stages and, to be honest, it didn’t get me excited.

Gregory Holm, a photographer, and Matthew Radune, an architect, are the men behind the project and they encased an abandoned house in Detroit in ice. From their fundraising website:

Ice House Detroit references this contemporary urban condition, and involves the acquisition and recontextualization of one of the 80,000 abandoned houses in the city.

The house will be sprayed with water in subzero temperatures, gradually building up layers of ice over the course of several days or weeks. Once it is frozen, the common architectural and urban references of the house will be temporarily obscured, providing a period of reflection.

Stop, Collaborate and Listen

I might not have been interested at first but in the past few weeks I have been desperately trying to find the location of the house. Maybe my obsession with the Belle Isle Ice Tree was just gateway ice and now any and all interesting ice will feed my addiction? Possibly.

Anyway, I finally found out the location of the Ice House on Friday, a day before it was to be announced publicly. Of course I couldn’t get down there till Saturday so my inside information didn’t give me a head start.

My overall impression? It’s a great subject to photograph.

I mean, I’m happy that they are being respectful of the neighborhood, recycling, and giving back to the community. But did it change anything or raise awareness? Everyone knows that there is a housing crisis and that Detroit has tens of thousands of abandoned homes.

Looking back at the last line of the quote above, I’m wondering if any of the onlookers had a "period of reflection" afterward? I hope so.

See that peice of ice by the apex of the roof? It's in the midst of falling.

You can see 2 peices in mid air above the bushes on the porch. Notice the missing ice at the roof line?

The address of Ice House Detroit is 3920 McClellan.

We made another trip out to Belle Isle this past Tuesday to see the evolution the Ice Tree. It’s starting to look more like it did the first time I laid eyes on it.

The Belle Isle Ice Tree is a beautiful blue color; I just wish the sky wasn’t so grey and dismal. It was also snowing, ever so slightly, while I was out snapping these photos.

These photos were taken on February 2, 2010.



Take a look at photos of the Ice Tree last month, before the ice, and last year.

February, our shortest month, has the oddest holidays. Take Groundhog Day, a strange little holiday where we push meteorologists aside and put all our faith in a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil. This is Michigan; on February 2^nd there will always be 6 more weeks of winter regardless if that rascally rodent sees his shadow.

From Barbara L. Hanson on Flickr

I really like the movie, though.

Weekend Roundup

1. Shiver on the River - The Belle Isle Aquarium will be open for visitors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a rare opportunity to stroll through the now closed Aquarium. February 6th.

2. Alegria - Cirque du Soleil brings its "baroque ode to the energy, grace, and power of youth" to the Joe Louis Arena. February 4-7.

3. Wild Winter African Adventure - Celebrate Black History Month at The Detroit Zoo with African drum lessons, learn about the animals from Africa through storytelling, and live entertainment. February 6-7.

4. Cocktails for a Cause - Local celebs and bartenders mix up drinks with proceeds going to THAW (The Heat and Warmth Fund). Join in the fun at Bookies Bar & Grille and Pulse. February 5th.

5. Mount Clemens Ice Carving Show - Dozens of ice sculptures and live sculpting demonstrations are featured. They also have an Ice Sculpture Putt-Putt course! February 5-7.

Don't forget the Ferndale Blues Festival is stil going on and the Super Bowl is this Sunday!

Do you know of a great event going in on Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

I travel every day. I don’t mean I travel to far away places with white beaches (I wish). I’m not referring to the mundane task of driving to work or running errands either. I travel via the web.

Lately, these travels across the Internet have landed me in some pretty cool places. I’ve encountered people, places, and ideas that inspire me.

People

Did you ever have an idea or dream that most people would dismiss as impossible? Well, Justin “Bugsy” Sailor has a big idea and he’s going for it. It’s simple really; he just wants to have a beer with Richard Branson by the end of the year. Impossible, you say? I don’t think so. In fact, I’d put good money on Bugsy making this happen. If anyone can do it, Bugsy can. So let’s hear it for the Michigan boy and check out Beer with Branson.

Places

The Burton Theatre is a new independent cinema in the Chinatown/Cass Corridor area of Detroit. I’ve been dying to check it out but haven’t had a chance yet. I did, however, find someone who has. Tom Lucier shares his visit to The Burton on his blog Here be Dragons. The thing I find really cool is that Tom is from Windsor and he and his friends crossed the border just to experience this new cinema. I’ll be writing more about Windsor soon.

Sticking with the movie theme, I have a confession. I’ve never been to the Detroit Film Theater at the DIA. Dominique King at Midwest Guest has and gives a great rundown of the coming attractions at the DFT. Movies are a great way to find inspiration in your daily life.

Ideas

If you’ve been reading Detroit Moxie and following along, it’s no surprise that my husband and I love Belle Isle. Of course, I have a certain something-something for a particular tree but it goes beyond that. Charlie LeDuff from The Detroit News wrote this awesome piece about our island park. It explores the political beasts that have been behind its demise and what could be its hope for the future.

I stumbled upon the Detroit Declaration about a week ago and I love their ideals. From the website:

We know you’re out there. We know you love Detroit and want to see it not just survive, but thrive. This is our rallying cry. Welcome to a political movement for a brighter Detroit future.

Watch the video.

You can sign the Detroit Declaration here. My name is on it, is yours?