Base architect turns snow into art

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Derek VanHorn
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Landscape architecture was always his plan, but no one would have guessed it would involve a giant block of snow twice his size.

"If you would have told me three years ago I would be doing this, I would have called myself crazy," said Kyle Slivnik in reference to snow sculpting on a military base.

Slivnik - a civilian employee with the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron - put his skills to work here at this year's Winter Bash, where he sculpted two crowd favorites - a four-sided silhouette snowman and a tuxedo-wearing snowman doing a handstand.

Slivnik began sculpting snow in 2009 while attending North Dakota State University, where he obtained a degree in landscape architecture. One of his professors suggested he check out "Festival du Voyageur," an annual snow sculpting symposium in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

"Ever since then I've sculpted every winter," said Slivnik, who sculpts mainly with former classmate and friend David Prom.

The tandem has worked on a handful of sculptures, including snow globes; giant hands; penguins; film reels; and phoenixes coming out of flames. Their talents have been on display in multiple competitions and venues, to include Canada, Minneapolis and Chicago.

"I enjoy sculpting abstract work the most because it's visually interesting," Slivnik said.

Born and raised near St. Cloud, Minn., Slivnik has been around winter all his life and said he has always enjoyed being outdoors - something some northerners can't relate to.

"A lot of people complain about the weather here, saying it's too cold and there's nothing to do, but sometimes you have to get a little creative," he said. "Snow sculpting definitely fits that bill."

At work, Slivnik oversees the base landscape contracts, designs and projects, and acknowledged the daily work of the job is very applicable to the hobby.

"I've worked a lot with designing things on the job so that has become my favorite part of what I do," he said. "It's something different every day, and some days I get to spend outside carving snowmen. It's kind of funny where things take you."

For more information or to see more of their work, check out "The Snowkitects" Facebook page.