Photographing the Art Shanty Projects is a reminder that winter in Minnesota is not just something to get through but something people actively lean into.

Out on the frozen surface of Lake Harriet, the city drops away and a temporary world takes shape. Colorful hand built shanties sit scattered across the ice, each one its own small experiment in art and community. There is no clear path. You wander, follow footprints, hear laughter carry across the lake, and stumble into moments you did not expect.

For a photographer, that sense of discovery is everything. The soft winter light and wide open space slow things down. People linger, talk to strangers, and take part in something that only exists for a short window of time. The shanties will disappear, the ice will melt, and the lake will return to normal.

What stays is the feeling. Creativity thriving in the cold. People choosing to gather in the middle of winter. On a frozen lake in Minneapolis, art becomes a reason to step outside, explore, and share a moment that will not last long but is memorable because of it.