For Immediate Release:

[North Bay, ON, February 12th, 2025] – Ice Follies 2025 continues this weekend with an incredible lineup of events happening February 15–17, 2025. This year, festival activities take place at two unique locations: sound art experiences will be held at Olmsted Beach on Trout Lake, while interactive community celebrations and installations will take place at Shabogesic Beach on Lake Nipissing. There’s something for everyone to enjoy this weekend!

Events at Trout Lake (Olmsted Beach)

Experience live performances on the ice at Olmsted Beach on February 15th and 16th, featuring a mesmerizing blend of sonic exploration and thought-provoking audio-visual experiences. At 7:00 PM, gather around the bonfire for the Ice Sounds Listening Party and immerse yourself in the soundscapes of 5 compositions made by artists working with New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA). Then, at 8:00 PM, take part in Ice Shift/Elevations by Hyperboreal, an hour-long multimedia performance blending electronic soundscapes, video projections, and interactive elements on the frozen lake.

Events at Lake Nipissing (Shabogesic Beach)

On Sunday, February 16th, head to Shabogesic Beach for the Ice Follies Community Choir at 1:00 PM. Led by Lindsay Sullivan and Rose Erin Stokes, this welcoming choir invites participants to sing along to ‘Cold as Ice’ by Foreigner with punctuations of ‘Ice Ice Baby’ by Vanilla Ice, or simply enjoy the harmonies in a beautiful winter setting on Lake Nipissing’s shore.

On Monday, February 17th, experience a vibrant day of art and movement at Shabogesic Beach. From 12:00 to 3:00 PM, Aanmitaagzi will activate their installations with drumming and dancing, inviting attendees to engage with rhythm and movement as they bring their space to life.

Guided Walking Tours on Lake Nipissing

Visitors can explore the festival’s artworks through guided walking tours on Lake Nipissing, led by artist Colin Davis. These tours provide insight into the installations and their inspiration, with both daytime and nighttime options available. Tickets are $10 per person.

Tour Schedule:

• Saturday, February 15th at 2:00 PM
• Monday, February 17th at 6:00 PM (with ASL Interpretation)
  Register Here

Ice Follies is Free & Open 24/7

As always, Ice Follies is free to attend and open 24/7, allowing visitors to experience the installations in the dynamic interplay of light and ice, whether during the day or under the stars.

For more information on Ice Follies 2025, visit: icefollies.ca

Ice Follies is made possible thanks to the generous support of our funders, sponsors, and community partners. We gratefully acknowledge our 2025 funders: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, NOHFC, FedNor, City of North Bay, and Tourism North Bay.

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Media Contact:
Jameson Toye
Ice Follies Communications Officer
(705) 476-6402
medialabnorthbay@gmail.com

High-resolution images and additional materials are available upon request.

For Immediate Release:

[North Bay, ON – February 5th, 2025] – Ice Follies 2025 kicks off this weekend with a full lineup of activities to celebrate art on ice! The festival officially begins on February 7th, 2025, with Opening Remarks at Shabogesic Beach starting at 6PM, followed by a captivating live performance by Aanmitaagzi Story Makers at 7PM. Enjoy free refreshments, take in the excitement, and connect with the community. An ASL interpreter will be on-site to ensure accessibility.

The festivities continue with FREE Artist Talks at the Capitol Centre Spotlight Lounge on February 8th & 9th (12–4 PM), offering audiences the chance to hear directly from the artists about the inspiration, stories, and processes behind their work. On February 8th, the lineup features Nico Glaude, David Chops, and Aanmitaagzi, each sharing insights into their creative practices. The discussions continue on February 9th with presentations by Anyse Ducharme, Liz Lott, and Studio Nude Beach, providing a deeper look into their artistic journeys and approaches.

Experience Ice Follies like never before with guided walking tours led by artist Colin Davis, beginning February 9th at 10:00 AM, with additional tours offered throughout the festival. The tour schedule also includes two ASL-friendly tours and a free tour on Family Day. Tickets are $10 and registration is required. Learn more HERE.

Don’t miss the Frozen Frames: An Ice Follies Retrospective at the WKP Kennedy Gallery, running February 5th – March 8th, 2025, celebrating two decades of Ice Follies with stunning photographs by Liz Lott that capture the festival’s innovative installations and performances.

As always, Ice Follies is free to attend and open 24/7, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the installations in the unique interplay of light and ice, whether during the day or under the stars.

For more information on Ice Follies 2025, visit: icefollies.ca

Ice Follies is made possible thanks to the generous support of our funders, sponsors and community partners. We gratefully acknowledge our 2025 funders: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, NOHFC, FedNor, City of North Bay and Tourism North Bay.

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Media Contact
Jameson Toye
Ice Follies Communication Officer
705-476-6402
info@icefollies.ca

Ice Follies 2025 is almost here, and we’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help bring this incredible winter arts festival to life! ❄️🌟

Why Volunteer? Volunteering at Ice Follies is a fantastic way to connect with your community, experience the magic of outdoor art, and be part of an amazing event that transforms the frozen landscape into a creative playground. Plus, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people and support local and international artists!

What You’ll Do We have a variety of volunteer opportunities, including:

• Welcoming guests and providing event information
• Helping with accessibility and visitor support
• Providing general event assistance

Volunteer Perks! We appreciate every volunteer’s time and effort. As a thank-you, those who complete 4 or more hours will receive either a FREE Ice Follies Toque or $20 Downtown Dollars to spend at local businesses! 🎁

Volunteer shifts are still available throughout the festival, with opportunities to help at two different locations across North Bay. Fill out the form below to select your preferred shifts and become part of this unforgettable winter experience.

For Immediate Release:

[North Bay, ON – January 21, 2025] – Ice Follies, Northern Ontario’s premier biennial festival of contemporary and community-engaged art, returns for its 11th edition from February 7 to 21, 2025. Set against the breathtaking frozen expanse of Lake Nipissing, this year’s festival explores the theme Ozhaashikwaa (The Ice is Slippery), reflecting on resilience and the challenges of navigating uncertain terrain. The festival is free to attend and open 24/7, offering visitors the chance to explore stunning installations in the unique interplay of light and ice, whether by day or under the stars.

Artists Shaping Ice Follies 2025
This year’s festival showcases an exceptional lineup of local and regional artists, each bringing their unique vision and creative expression to Ice Follies 2025. Their works, ranging from large-scale installations to immersive performances, deeply engage with Northern landscapes and cultural narratives. Artists will present their pieces at Shabogesic Beach on Lake Nipissing, Olmsted Beach on Trout Lake, and downtown North Bay, transforming these spaces into living, evolving galleries that connect audiences with the power of contemporary art.

Featured Artists by Location

Shabogesic Beach (Lake Nipissing): Outdoor Installations & Performances on the Ice

• Aanmitaagzi: All My R(el)ations – A powerful opening night performance (Feb 7) and activation of their installations, exploring our connections to water, ancestors, and community.
• Andrew Ackerman: Fire and Flood – A striking blackened house-like sculpture, illuminated from within, reflecting on humanity’s fragile relationship with nature.
• David Chops: A Spectrum of Interconnected Cooperation – A participatory installation with illuminated trees and reflective cubes, inviting contributions by visitors.
• Anyse Ducharme: The Water Was a Sheet of Glass – A site-specific installation featuring AI-generated voices reciting hashtags, highlighting the tension between digital and lived experiences.
• Nico Glaude: Sign Language – Monoliths adorned with hand-painted signs, reflecting themes of resilience, personal growth, and memory.
• Studio Nude Beach: Beastie Bones – A glowing ribcage-like installation blending folklore and dynamic decay, symbolizing nature’s ephemeral beauty.

Downtown North Bay: Photographic Reflections on Ice Follies’ Legacy

• Liz Lott: Frozen Frames – An Ice Follies Retrospective – A photographic exhibition at WKP Kennedy Gallery, showcasing one image from every participating artist since 2004, celebrating two decades of creativity.

Olmstead Beach (Trout Lake): Sound & Light Interventions – Feb 15 & 16 from 7 PM and 9PM

• Hyperboreal (Dermot Wilson & Jason Brock): Ice Shifts/Elevations – A mesmerizing audio-visual performance of synchronized electronic music and video projections on the misty icy lake.
• New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) with Lina Choi, Stephanie Dupuis, Genevieve Kiessling, Shaughn Martel and Kyle Vanderlaan: Ice Sounds – Compositions of ice-recorded soundscapes from Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake, combined with texts.

About Ice Follies
Founded in 2004, Ice Follies transforms the frozen shores of Lake Nipissing into a dynamic gallery of contemporary art every two years. Co-presented by local arts organizations Aanmitaagzi, Near North Mobile Media Lab and White Water Gallery, the festival creates space for audiences to engage with contemporary works that reflect upon Northern Ontario’s unique cultural and environmental identity.

For more information on Ice Follies 2025, visit: icefollies.ca

Ice Follies is made possible thanks to the generous support of our funders, sponsors and community partners. We gratefully acknowledge our 2025 funders: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, NOHFC, FedNor, City of North Bay and Tourism North Bay.

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Media Contact
Jameson Toye
Ice Follies Communication Officer
705-476-6402
info@icefollies.ca

North Bay, ON • Onsite
Salary: $19/hr, 35hr/wk
Contract Length: February 3 – June 30, 2025 (21 weeks)
Start Date: February 3rd, 2025

Application Deadline: January 26th, 2025, 11:59pm EST
Note: This position is contingent on funding.

About Ice Follies

Key Responsibilities

Festival Support & Operations

• Assist with the on-site setup, daily operations, and tear-down of Ice Follies 2025.
• Coordinate with artists, volunteers, and stakeholders to ensure smooth event execution.
• Provide logistical support, including safety measures, accessibility considerations, and operational troubleshooting.

Post-Event Analysis & Reporting

• Gather and analyze festival attendance data, including foot traffic counts and survey results.
• Assess social media and website analytics to evaluate audience engagement.
• Assist with final reporting to granting bodies, ensuring that key deliverables and funding requirements are met.
• Support the creation of the final festival report, including compiling data, visual documentation, and key insights for future planning.

Resource Development for Future Festivals

• Develop a comprehensive resource guide on festival coordination, documenting key processes such as:
  • Grant application strategies
  • Stakeholder and artist engagement
  • Budget planning and sponsorship considerations
  • Volunteer coordination best practices
  • Marketing and outreach approaches
• Work closely with the Ice Follies team to ensure this guide serves as a long-term resource for future festival organizers.

Qualifications

• Experience in event planning, arts administration, community engagement, or a related field.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to work flexibly in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Comfortable working outdoors in winter conditions during the festival.
• Passion for contemporary and community-engaged art.

• be unemployed or underemployed youth (persons aged 30 and under);
• have graduated within the last three years with a degree, diploma or certificate from a recognized post-secondary institution;
• be legally entitled to work in Canada;
• have not previously participated as a youth intern in FedNor’s programs or in any other federal or provincial internship program with pay for a period of six months or more

This position is supported by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario.

🎉 We Have a Winner! 🎉

A huge congratulations to Marjorie Vogel, the lucky winner of our Ice Follies 2025 giveaway! 🎟️✨ Marjorie has won a $500 stay at Homewood Suites By Hilton in North Bay, Ontario, where she’ll get to experience the magic of Ozhaashikwaa (The Ice is Slippery) firsthand.

This year’s Ice Follies Biennial promises breathtaking art installations on the frozen shores of Lake Nipissing, bringing together artists, community, and the beauty of the North. We can’t wait for Marjorie to immerse herself in this unforgettable experience!

❄️ Thank you to everyone who participated! Your excitement and support mean the world to us. we can’t wait to welcome you all out on the ice this February!

Ice Follies Celebrates Local Creativity in Honor of North Bay’s Centennial
February 7 – 21, 2025