A mammoth kite is strapped down to a truck; Interstate 35 is backed up with traffic.
It’s one of the biggest weekends for small-town Clear Lake, Iowa: Color the Wind Kite Festival.
“The event itself draws almost 20,000 people from all across the Midwest to see these kites in the sky,” says Stacy Doughan, president and CEO of the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
But they’re not just kites—once a year, acres of frozen lake set the stage for flying cats, astronauts, Iron Man, and dinosaurs. Yes, even pigs fly (at least in Clear Lake).
The event inspired Iowa artist Andy Chenchar, who grew up visiting the city as a child. His new exhibition in town features collages depicting Color the Wind’s fantastic colors and shapes.
“It’s the color contrast against the sky that’s kind of grayish-blue,” Chenchar says. “These things are huge sculptures in the air and the way they float and the tension between the ground and the sky … They’re really colorful and sculptural and kinetic.”
He’ll connect scraps from magazines and paper, creating horizons and shapes to form what he calls an artistic puzzle. Chenchar’s piece Kite Fest is informed by his frequent visits to the area and the festival.
“It’s incredible to watch ’em go up and hang up there in the air,” he says.
Doughan says some kites, particularly the ones flown by semi-professional kite pilots, are the size of buses—hundreds at a time. Several dozen fliers will hoist multiple kites at once, filling the chilly air with flowing reds and yellows.
Color the Wind started in 2005 with local kite pilots Larry and Kay Day, who traveled to similar festivals across the U.S. before deciding Clear Lake needed its own.
“Summer is just a packed time here in Clear Lake, and so doing it in the middle of winter on the frozen lake was just appealing,” Doughan says. “Because after a long, dark, dingy winter, it’s so nice to have the bright kites in the sky on top of the snow-covered lake.”
It’s Cold But We Still Art!
-
Bare Feet and Banjos Meet at Woolsock, a Winter Festival
By Amy Felegy
This old-time music and dance festival is set in the chilly woods of northeast Minnesota. The weekend is a celebration of winter triumph, collective joy, and movement.
-
Surf’s Up: Minnesotans Hit the Waves on Lake Superior
By Darla Mae Swanson
A growing community of Minnesota-based surfers and artists are diving into the sport and finding inspiration and excitement in the cool waters of the Great Lake.
-
Making the Most of a Frozen Lake: Minnesota’s Art Shanty Projects
By Jay Gabler
Frozen lakes dotted with ice fishing shanties are a familiar sight during Midwest winters. In 2004, two Minnesota artists decided to use the milieu as a jumping-off point for creativity and community. Since then, the Art Shanty Projects have been coming to terms with climate change.