Friday, Nov. 14, 2008

Gaylord Exhibit Puts Artistry on ICE!

By Alice Murray

Editor

If you’re looking for a Brrrr-fect way to spend a few hours during the upcoming holiday season, make a visit to the ICE! exhibit at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine.

The creations of 40 ice sculptors from Harbin, China, are a part of the fifth annual Lone Star Christmas, which kicks off Friday Nov. 14 and goes through Jan. 3.

The ICE! exhibit opens to the public at 10 a.m. Friday inside a specially designed 14,000-square-foot tent. The exhibit offers nine large rooms of frigid fantasy and artistic amazement. The tent is maintained at a constant 9 degrees Fahrenheit and parkas will be provided to prevent visitors from becoming ice sculptures themselves.

Martha Neibling, Gaylord Texan public relations director, said many of the ice designs are new this year.

"The giant Santa with the lap to sit on, along with the little elves, is a brand new scene," Neibling said. "The other brand new scenes are the ornament room, the Old Man Winter entrance, the candy land with the life-size gingerbread house, and the animal band."

To help get you in a wintry mood, the Old Man Winter entrance will feature falling snow this year, she said.

There will be familiar scenes for returning visitors, too.

Signature scenes include the 25-foot ice angel, the ice slides and the Nativity, Neibling said. The four slides will feature colorful ice renditions of Santa’s reindeer, led by the valiant Rudolph.

The artisans hand-carve the designs from large blocks of clear and colored ice, using tools ranging from chisels to saws.

Each creation begins as a scale drawing that the artisans then re-create from the blocks of ice.

The Harbin artisans are world-renowned and the crew at work at the Gaylord Texan is one of three 40-member teams in the country working at Gaylord properties.

Neibling said that the sculptors usually learn the craft from their fathers and grandfathers.

"It’s passed down from generation to generation," Neibling said.

The artisans worked tirelessly for a month creating this year’s exhibit.

The opening of the ICE! exhibit is not the only thing happening Friday as part of the Lone Star Christmas.

Beginning at 8 p.m., inside the Lone Star Atrium, Gaylord officials will flip the switch on 1.2 million holiday lights. The ceremony will also feature music and Santa and Mrs. Claus, and is free to the public.

Some of the displays and decorations will include a 50-foot rotating Christmas tree, model trains winding through 1,000 feet of track, a life-size gingerbread house made from 5,000 square feet of gingerbread, Santa’s workshop including a cookie conveyor belt, giant Christmas ornaments, 2,300 feet of garland and 5,600 wreaths.

Throughout the holidays, the Gaylord will feature strolling entertainers, including toy soldiers on stilts, Jack Frost, magicians and balloon artists.

Weekday and weekend ticket prices for the ICE! exhibit range from $20 to $23 for adults and $10 to $12 for children ages 4 to 12, respectively. Parking is included in the ticket price. From Nov. 14 through Dec. 5, those who purchase three tickets to ICE! will get one ticket free.

ICE! will be open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

See gaylordtexan.com or call 817-778-1000 for tickets or more information

Writers Scott Price and Lance Murray contributed to this article.