Ice Spirit - City Creek Center - Salt Lake City, UT
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Chasing Blue Sky
N 40° 46.064 W 111° 53.549
12T E 424677 N 4513356
This figurative sculpture of a figure skater is located on the south of the the Richard's Street pedestrian corridor in the new City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
Waymark Code: WME3C0
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 03/29/2012
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Outspoken1
Views: 4

This bronze sculpture, dedicated to the volunteers of Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games, is of a female figure skater on the ice. This sculpture depicts motion, with her skating off her right foot and the left foot raised and slightly behind her. Her arms are raised in fluid motion with her head slightly raised and looking to the left. She is dressed in a short dress, typical of ice skating competitors.

The base is small and cirular; made of two materials. On the bottom is a whitish marble in two rings. The bottom ring is a little larger in circumference than the top ring. While the top ring is level, the bottom ring is angled a bit, with the left side higher than the right (from the perspective of the skater). Atop the marble base is a circular piece of thin, light blue, translucent, glass-like material. The glass is a little smaller in circumference than the marble base.

The plaque that accompanies the sculpture reads:

"ICE SPIRIT"
by Mark DeGraffenried
& Dan Cummings

Dedicated to the Volunteers of the XIX Olympic Winter Games
Dedicated February 2012

[Salt Lake Olympic Games Logo]
SALT LAKE 2002
[Olympic Logo]


About the artists:

Mark DeGraffenried
At an early age, Mark DeGraffenried developed a passion for art. While attending high school in Alaska, he won state wide acclaim for his sculpture "Regret". Recognition including numerous "Best of Show" and purchase awards for his sculpture continued into his college career and beyond. His sculpture is noted for its artistic style, grounded with an in-depth knowledge of the human form, and his ability to represent accurate likenesses of those individuals he portrays.

DeGraffenried's knowledge of the sculpting process is extensive, from the creation in clay and wax casting process, to the final bronze and patina work. DeGraffenried strives to create interest and emotion within each sculpture. "My greatest challenge as a sculptor is to capture the integrity of the human spirit, to convey the experiences of life and all aspects of emotion."

DeGraffenried attended Brigham Young University Idaho, Brigham Young University Hawaii, and received a bachelor degree with honors from Utah State University in 1993. Since graduation he has been awarded several large scale bronze commissions. His largest project entailed an edition of four life-size bronzes of an emigrant family, The Crossing, that were placed in prominent locations in England and Salt Lake City. DeGraffenried is a member of the Alliance for the Varied Arts, and the National Sculpture Society. His work includes many limited editions, portrait busts, medallions and other figurative work.

DeGraffenried lives in Clarkston Utah, where he finds inspiration for his current work. He and his wife RaeLynn have five children.


Dan Cummings
Dan is the owner of Spectrum Studios in Salt Lake City and has been a professional artist for over 25 years.

He studied art at the University of Utah and now specializes in etched and carved glass as well as granite. Cummings has several commissioned sculptures on the Utah State University campus. He has completed numerous private and public commissions throughout his career.

Dan is sought out for his unique treatment of glass and interpretation of highly creative challenges in granite. Some of his granite etching work can be seen at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dan was recently selected for the proposed Larry H. Miller Tribute Monument in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Ice Spirit

Figure Type: Human

Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Mark DeGraffenried & Dan Cummings

Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: February 2012

Materials used: Bronze

Location: City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City

Visit Instructions:
Please upload at least one photo you have personally taken of the sculpture and tell us a little about your impressions of the piece. Additional photos are always appreciated.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Figurative Public Sculpture
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
Chasing Blue Sky visited Ice Spirit - City Creek Center - Salt Lake City, UT 03/27/2012 Chasing Blue Sky visited it