Catch up - 24 days to open

Inniskillin is going to officially announce that it is the Presenting sponsor of Ice Gate. This is a partnership based on a parallel love of and fascination with ice. In 2006 Gord met Ziraldo (founder of Inniskillin) at the Turin Olympics where they shared their passion for ice, it’s crystal structure, and the ever-interesting challenge of dealing with an art form that cannot be fully controlled, but when you can get it right - you have something unique, exquisite, ephemeral. Lots more to tell on this as we go along. (Linsey Hulls photo above).


Al Burns took this wonderful shot Wednesday. (below)


On Thursday we met CBC-TV’s Bob Nixon and his famous moccasins.





Week-long, the wall kept going up – Graham Rae snapped a shot of Shelley Harrison Rae in front of the wall - between downpours.


After hours, we were hosted first by Art Sutherland (here we are with Perry Coleman, Art, Eve Marshall, and Mark Stitt – Arts friends and co-workers) – delicious meal and as usual, gracious company.




Thursday, foodie and stand up/sit down comedienne Denise Leung & her partner Kyle hosted us at her loft – featuring the company of a beautiful & mellow rescue dog, and a sumptuous vegetarian meal extraordinaire. Denise is so hip and funny, she fills up the room.

And, at the end of the day Friday, it stopped raining and a bit of sunshine peeked through!

Now, rest for the wicked.

Vancouver Sun article is in today’s paper. On Sunday at 11 PM on CBC, the piece by Bob Nixon and Shaw Cable airs Feb lst 3:30 and 8:30 PM. Also we were just put on Tourism Sunshine Coast website: http://www.sunshinecoastcanada.com/sunshine-coast/olympicartists.php?preview=true Unless otherwise noted, today's photos by Caitlin Hicks.

Fast and furious

Now it's happening fast and furious. Tuesday the crew went out to see progress on the wall, arriving at dusk. (Erik Olson photos).



Wednesday Fanny Kiefer hosted a live-on-tv interview with Gord at Shaw Cable in her Studio 4 program, and just outside the window, the Vancouver Convention Centre buzzed with activity, while back in Richmond, the crew carried on.


Google alert showed us Kevin Griffin's blog - with the article he's penned on Ice Gate for this weekend's paper. It starts out 'Gordon Halloran creates art in a Blade Runner deep freeze.'


Art Sutherland is in town, hooking up the refrigeration to the wall and the paintings are getting thicker and more glacial.



Sunshine Coast photographer Linsey Hulls visited the cold storage and shared her photography with us. (these 3 & gorgeous opening photo). Al Burns was there on Wednesday.





Both Inniskillin (who is now the official sponsor of Ice Gate) and the City of Richmond are each nailing down more details about the opening, the poster, their Ice Gallery on site. We're still not sure about lighting for the opening.


Vancouver Sun published a map of the road restrictions during the opening and closing ceremonies, saying 50,000 people will have to find a different way home on the Big Day. The IOC tent outside the hotel is daily surrounded by workers in neon striped vests and the sign on the wall says we've got less than a month to go. It's more and more evident that so many people are contributing to this international event and I can't help but feel the excitement: we're an important part of it!



CBC's Kevin Chong interviewed Gord for an article on their website re: artists & the Olympics.


And, it turns out that Anna ( perpetual smile behind the counter at Artigiano), knows Katie Cooper - an intern from the 2008 Millennium Park Installation! (www.paintingsbelowzeroaatmillenniumpark.blogspot.com)

Wall goes up; pressure is on

Allan May and his construction crew showed up on time yesterday in full force on the site at Richmond City Hall, to begin building the wall.



The rain came pelting down, with spring warmth.








Emmanuelle, our new recruit, brings lots of energy to the crew at cold storage.


A story in The Tyee headlined: "NBC expects to take a bath and VANOC, rocked by recession, still has its hand out." It's only somewhat consoling that we're not alone: we're doing the usual, juggling budgets with cost over runs and unexpected expenses.



Keep an eye out for tomorrow's ICE GATE PRESS:

Shaw Cable TV - “Studio 4” with Fanny Kiefer this Wednesday morning 8:30

Vancouver Sun - article by Kevin Griffin, Saturday, January 16th

CBC RADIO "ON THE COAST" with Stephen Quinn WED at 4:20 in the afternoon on 690 AM

City hall site photos by Allan May. Others by Jaz Halloran and Caitlin Hicks.

PRESS ON! 29 days to go

Listen up, tune in, turn on as Ice Gate is interviewed, filmed, recorded by the media. Here’s what to look for this week:





Shaw Cable TV - “Studio 4” with Fanny Kiefer this Wednesday morning 8:30

CBC – TV - Sunday night 11 PM and again on CBC News Network on Monday, as well as the CBC website

CBC RADIO "ON THE COAST" with Stephen Quinn WED at 4:20 in the afternoon on 690 AM

This week and next week, publication/broadcast times to be announced:

CTV- Peter Grainger

Vancouver Sun – writer Kevin Griffin

Shaw Cable –TV with Peter Kim, airs February lst @ 3:30 & 8:30 PM

Global TV with Sharron Bates