The coolest outdoor ice theater has returned to Vail this winter with The Ninth Annual Vail Winterfest Ice Theater, featuring film projection on ice on the Gore Creek Promenade in Vail Village. Inspired by summertime outdoor cinemas, Vail's Art in Public Places program, along with ice sculptor Paul Wertin, have transformed the creek-side park with seating and a theater screen to create this free and family friendly cinematic experience in ice.
Lounge on oversized ice chairs and couch while enjoying the scenic Gore Creek during the day and film projections on a screen created in ice during the evening. The theater will show footage from Warren Miller athlete Chris Anthony and videography of Vail Mountain by Vail Resorts. Projection begins daily at dusk until 9:30 p.m. and will be on view until the ice melts!
Alpine Ice sculptors Paul Wertin, Tim Wertin, Erik Herren and Jay Beacham worked for seven days carving 65 blocks of ice to create the installation with the ice weighing in at 19,000 pounds. The goal this season was to create a complete theater experience. “We went with a variety of oversized ‘Alice in Wonderland’ chairs to create a sense of playfulness and fun for kids and adults alike,” Wertin said.
The Ninth Annual Vail Winterfest Ice Theater exhibition is visited as part of Vail’s free weekly Wednesday Art Walks and tour of Vail Village with the town of Vail’s Art in Public Places Coordinator, Molly Eppard. The tour meets at 3:30 p.m. each Wednesday afternoon through March 30, 2016 at the newly remodeled Vail Village Welcome Center on the top level of the parking structure. The tour lasts approximately one hour.
The hour long walking tour of Vail Village and the public art collection starts with an introduction to the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum. The tour then winds its way through the Village with discussions of the history of the Vail Valley, the founding of Vail mountain, the master planning of the Village, and the importance of site-specific art. The Town’s public art collection includes over 40 works ranging from painting, sculptures, murals, playground components, to site-integrated art.
