Tuesday, March 21, 2006

The Place Where You Go To Listen

Speaking of the Museum of the North....
There's a new permanent exhibit there, created by John Luther Adams, with lots of help from my friend Jim Altieri and others. It's amazing! -- if not in a slightly unconventional way.

They've taken the rhythms of Nature (Sun and Moon cycles, Earthquakes, The earth's magnetosphere, and more) and turned them on your ear. There's a new acoustic space in the museum, where the typically inaudable data streams from alaska are changed into sound and light.

While sitting in the room, you'll hear what may be considered a constant drone; but just wait! For, as constant as the sound may seem at first, it is constantly shifting -- in real time-- to reflect what's happening in Alaska right now. Day or night, if the aurora should dance in the sky, it will dance about aurally in the room. Earthquakes provide a somewhat arrhythmic heartbeat, as information is passed from stations throughout the interior.

It's quite a sensation; but not really an in-and-out sort of exhibit. Stop. Sit. Stare. Meditate. Pick a sound and try to follow it. Fascinating and immersive!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Adventures in Ice Carving

Keeping Cool!

Each March, the World Ice Art Championships are held up here in Fairbanks. People come from all over and create intricate works of art from blocks of ice. No, I'm not talking about those little sculptures that crop up on tables at weddings... We're talking BIG -- and fancy. mostly.

I took some photos in 2003 and 2004 , but have always wanted to try my hand at it. This year, Katie and I took a 2-hour ice carving class from the Museum of the North (a great museum on campus), where we tried our hand on a 2x2x2 carving. (Shown below)

What started as a little cartoon penguin ended up as a really awsome little cartoon duck. While we were carving, it snowed probably about 5".

We were both amazed at how simple it was! Perhaps we've found a new hobby: There's only one way to find out, though -- Try it again!

SOOoooo, we each bought a 3-pack of woodworking chisels, plunked down the entry fee, and entered the Amateur Open

The block we carved was about 5'x3'x3'. Man, what a lot of ice : 2700 lbs worth (according to the Ice Alaska website). I figure that we must have carved off at least 1000 lbs.

It took two full days, (and more) to get our penguins into shape, while visitors strolled around and took photos of us working. At one point, I was focused on using a dremel to carve into a tight spot. I turned my head and nearly poked my eye out on this guy's camcorder. He'd just creeped up and was filming over my shoulder at a distance of, oh, maybe 3 inches. Yipes.

(This photo is of a not-quite-finished product. The final product can be seen at the world ice champtionships website)

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Is it Spring Yet? Signs say it's getting closer

Nenana Ice Classic -- Tripod Days

(photo courtesy of Miss Alaska 2005, Rebecca Hayes)



Spring is just around the corner, and now we all get to participate in the great Alaskan tradition of waiting for breakup.... Oh, and that other great tradition of betting on when breakup will actually happen.


Luckily for all of us up here, the days of standing on the river and waiting to head out to sea are behind us. Instead of sacrificing some poor soul to spring, the town of Nenana sacrifices a hugantic tripod each year. (even though the "tripod" has four sides, we still call it a tripod)



Each year a hearty group of alaskans venture out onto the river and help hoist the tripod into position. Once errected on the ice, the tripod is connected to a clocktower via ropes and such.

Now, instead of waiting around for the ice to break, we all place bets on the exactitudes of when the tripod will move which will stop the clock and signify that, yes, Virginia, there really is a spring up here in the far north.


After the tripod raising, we let ourselves be dragged around the downtown streets of Nenana by the locals...



Then, went looking for pop culture


And finally stocked up on Beer for the rest of Winter