Ice sculptures a unique way to highlight events at convention center

By Caitlin Yamada – Sioux City Journal, Iowa (TNS)

SIOUX CITY — For chefs, two popular art forms to learn are fruit and vegetable carvings and ice sculptures.

“Ice intrigued me more so than fruit and vegetable carving,” said Robert Dowd, executive chef at the Sioux City Convention Center. For more than 15 years, Dowd has practiced the art of ice carving.

When Oak View Group took over the management and food service at the Sioux City Convention Center, Dowd returned, bringing his culinary and ice skills back to the facility.

In his early years with the convention center, Dowd got the opportunity to travel to Ottumwa, Iowa, to learn from Leonard Bailey, a competitive ice sculptor. Three days and 10 blocks of ice later, Dowd said he had a grasp on the art form. Later, Dowd also learned from Michael Pizzuto, an internationally renowned ice sculptor.

“He could take the block of ice and just with a scratch out on a cardboard template, go and carve it,” Dowd said.

With years of experience under his belt, Dowd said he can look at a piece of ice and know how the desired artwork will fit within it.

To start a piece, Dowd will use a projector to sketch out the piece on butcher paper. He will then trace it onto the ice, make major cuts and then work on fine details. A medium-sized piece can take anywhere between two to three hours.

Dowd said people eat with their eyes; an addition like an ice sculpture can elevate an event.

With the increase of technology, Dowd said ice carving is a dying art form due to machines such as a CNC machine that can do fine etching and lettering. He said requests for ice sculptures have also gone down.

“I still like to do them for events,” he said.

Dowd can create an ice sculpture anytime between a couple of weeks or a couple of days before an event. He said anything longer than that raises the chance of the sculpture evaporating and distorting or breaking.

He said the process isn’t stressful but does require patience.

“You have a vision and you want to see that come out of there, so it’s a slow process and eventually you start to see it,” he said.

Now that they are promoting the option again, Dowd said he hopes requests pick up. Some of the popular sculptures for weddings include the couple’s new initials, double hearts and vases for flowers.

Some of Dowd’s favorite pieces include a comedy and tragedy mask for a Mardi Gras party and a large vase. He said he tries to make each piece a little more impressive than the last.

“Really they’re all good because people always enjoy them,” Dowd said. “It’s good that they are able to enjoy it because that’ll last. The ice won’t but memories of them will.”

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