so how long do ice sculptures last? This bust of Napoleon, from a party in Baton Rouge, was being damaged somewhat by the late afternoon sun. Because the sun was on the verge of disappearing behind the trees and buildings, we uncovered the piece, but it was clearly degrading. Btw, the white spot in the center of the sculpture is actually on the back; it was a defect that wasn’t there long.
updated 8/15/23 with formatting, seo, and additions
how long do ice sculptures last?
That’s one of the big questions that ice sculptors hear all the time.
The standard, easy answer, since the person asking the question wants a number, is 4-6 hours. But really, it depends on the conditions the ice sculpture is facing and the length of the event (since the ice sculptor SHOULD be designing the sculpture to last through most of the event).
Here are some of the factors that affect just how long ice sculptures will last.
how long do ice sculptures last when it's cold? or hot?
Temperature is obviously the biggest factor as to how long ice sculptures last. A sculpture in a very warm room might last half as long as one set at room temperature. Outside in the heat, a sculpture’s life might be only an hour or two. On the other hand, larger pieces that I’ve worked on in Alaska, Belgium, or Germany have been up for a month or more (in below freezing environments).
what effect does humidity have?
The more humid the air, the more efficiently heat is transferred from the air to the ice. In New Orleans in August, sculptures can melt VERY fast. I plan for this by making sculptures a little thicker than I do during cooler times of the year.
is airflow bad?
Fast airflow is very bad for ice sculptures. One sculpture that I had positioned between two buildings faded very fast when the wind was channeled between the buildings.
Don’t put sculptures near vents, fans, or air conditioners if you can avoid it. Aiming an air conditioner vent at a sculpture won’t help a sculpture, since it’s well above freezing. The moving air will just accelerate the melting. Ice sculptures like slow moving or dead air ☠️
how long do ice sculptures last in the sun?
Ice sculptures are like vampires 🧛🏻 They HATE the sun! (unless it’s VERY cold ❄️)
What we see with sunlight is that microfractures form inside an exposed ice sculpture. As time goes on, they get larger and join together resulting in a sculpture that will collapse into a stack of shards. Extreme cold (about 15 degrees F) keeps this from happening. There are microfractures forming all throughout the Napoleon ice sculpture pictured at the top of the post.
Formation of these small fractures will make ice look “gray” and less crystalline. Sculptors working in bright sunlight should shade their sculptures whenever possible. The fracturing effect of sunlight can be very strong and has resulted in many sculptures crashing in outdoor competitions.
If you’re the ice sculptor and you know that your ice sculpture will be displayed out in the sun, you need to sculpt it so that it’s very sturdy. Otherwise, you may have a major problem!
hot lighting
I’ve seen a strong light melt a hole right through an ice bar. It was very close to the ice, but still, don’t put sculptures near hot stage lighting.
sculpture mass
With ice, size buys you time, as long as you pay plenty of attention to the supports of the sculpture.
sculpture surface area
The shape with the least surface area is the sphere. Complex shapes with more surface area open themselves up to more exposure to heat and therefore melt faster.
depth of detail
This is a balancing act for the ice sculptor. Light detail can fade quickly whereas heavy detail in the wrong spot can make a sculpture structurally weak.
In some sculptures, the detail is what defines the sculpture, like if it’s a logo sculpture. So once the detail is gone, the sculpture is basically done. So again, the ice sculptor needs to anticipate the needs of the event when they’re planning and creating the sculpture.
original core temperature
The colder your sculpture is when at the start of the event, the longer it will last. However, a sculpture that’s too cold when it’s put out may fracture and will likely remain frosty for a while. That’s not always a good thing. For example if a logo sculpture is still frosty at the beginning of an event, it may be hard to see the logo that the client wanted to show off with an ice sculpture 😬
how long do ice sculptures last in bad weather?
High winds can knock ice sculptures down, especially if they have large surfaces that face the wind. And it should be obvious what a little rain will do, falling on frozen water.
what if more than one factor is a problem?
Ok, how long do ice sculptures last if it’s windy, humid, and unusually warm?
I never wanted to know the answer to this question, by the way. But I had a large sculpture for an evening event outside in Mississippi. It was in December, so, no problem, right?
Well, it turned out that it was surprisingly humid, pretty warm for December, and very windy. That large sculpture got torn up faster than I would have believed and eventually collapsed. Fortunately, we knew we had a problem and barriers were up. And the client knew the weather wasn’t cooperating and had no problem with the outcome.
The point is, whenever multiple factors combine, an ice sculpture will degrade even faster. Paying attention to potential factors and trying to lessen their impact will go a long way to keeping an ice sculpture intact long past the end of the event.
links and stuff
This post is linked to on the frequently asked questions page. You could also find photos and info from this entry on the ice sculpting secrets Instagram account or the facebook page. You can comment there as well as below. And if it won’t LET you comment below, then definitely comment on fb and/or IG. Thanks!
