Art Shanty Projects 20th Anniversary Campaign

If you love the shanties and the creative community we foster, please make a donation today to ensure our future.

YOU MAKE PUBLIC ART HAPPEN!

We fearlessly do what we do to uplift art and joyful connection for our community of artists, neighbors, fans, and new friends. In return, a whopping 80% of Art Shanty Project's income & in-kind donations come from our community. We couldn't do it without this incredible show of kindness and reciprocity.

YOUR DONATION COUNTS!

We invite you to celebrate the human connections that are formed in creative community, in winter, in our beloved city, at Art Shanties. Our community event is community funded. Donations in any amount count! The radical generosity of many helps make it possible for all. 

PROGRAM UPDATE 2/1/24

Friends,

We had an INCREDIBLE opening weekend at the shanties, greeting over 10,000 visitors over two days and engaging with community through joyful, thought-provoking, weird and wonderful art.

We have been tracking the weather and lake conditions - and while the ice still measures 12” in the village as of yesterday afternoon, the forecast is not in our favor moving forward and we have made the decision to begin striking and to close early. With low temps mostly above freezing, and highs upwards of 50, it’s simply no longer safe to welcome crowds. It is not possible at this time to move into the park and continue our program (aka Plan Beach), as the ground is not frozen, there is no snow, and we would trample and damage the landscape (and make a muddy mess of the shanties). The safety of artists, visitors and staff, along with preserving the environment and the art, are top priorities for us.

Staff members had unified clarity in making this decision - there are no other viable or reasonable options - however we know it brings disappointment for everyone. It also leaves us in a precarious financial position, as we rely on donations from visitors to fund our program. People have already shown up with generosity, offering $33,000 in contributions towards our $99,000 goal for individual donations. While this would have been a great start to a full run of the program, it now leaves a significant gap we need to close in order to end this year successfully and begin planning for next time.

If you love the shanties and the creative community we foster, please make a donation today. This is a make-or-break situation — our future depends on it. An organization our size does not have the cushion or means to recover from this without community support and our financial stability depends on it. 

A full State of the Shantyverse message is on our website if you want additional context and a bigger picture of the situation.

ADVANCE GRATITUDE for your consideration in giving and BIG THANKS to those of you who have already supported us this season! 

Much love to you all.

2024 PROGRAM
The On-ice Program took place for a shortened time on Bdé Umáŋ (Lake Harriet) January 27 and 28. We opened late to wait for good ice and closed early due to unseasonably warm weather. Artists and performers were champions with the changes, embracing challenges with creativity. 

SUGGESTED GIVING

We gladly welcome donations in any amount that is meaningful to you! These are just suggested levels: 

Bring HOPE! $25 (one-time gift)
Bring FUN! $60 (or $5/month)
Bring DELIGHT! $120 (or $10/month)
Bring JOY! $240 (or $20/month)

Photo: Ryan Stopera