Victorian-Inspired Ice House Struggling To Make It To Lake Harriet

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- While many Minneapolis residents were worrying about where to put their cars during the snow emergency, one northeast couple had to deal with moving a tiny house.

It was was made to be part of the annual Art Shanty project, which kicks off this weekend on Lake Harriet.

It is a month-long public art exhibition that encourages folks to get outside and celebrate the north.

But one house is having trouble getting to the show. The 1,300-pound Victorian ice shanty should be on Lake Harriet, not here on 34th Avenue Northeast.

It took Derek Miller four months to build the ice shanty. It is a labor of love for his girlfriend, Amber Bjork, and her acting troupe.

"We're both theater artists. He has this amazing will to design and build as well, and I am a theater maker," Bjork said. "I have this will to make very small theater for very intimate audiences."

Just days before the exhibition, it has been one set back after another.

"I got this ice shanty out of my driveway, skidded it down the alley here, got it to the street where I was going to get it up onto a trailer, and that all went really well and I thought that was going to be the hardest part," Miller said.

That trailer was too small, and Miller couldn't find a tow company to help.

"After that, we literally said, 'It will be OK as long as they don't declare a snow emergency,' and then they declared a snow emergency," he said.

The race against the clock began.

"We got it to the correct side literally four minutes before the city snow plow came down the street," he said.

As amazing as it is on the outside, it is even more incredible on the inside. But you will have to come see it at Lake Harriet for yourself, assuming it makes it there.

"After I spent this much time building it, I just really want it to get out there so that everybody can see what I've done and everybody can see what they're going to do," Miller said.

Miller still has not found someone to tow it. He said if anyone out there can help, they would love to get it on Lake Harriet before the weekend. Miller can be reached at 612-508-1490.