Fit For A Ski Town
Fit For A Ski Town
Artist Eric Jones Creates Custom Snow Sculpture in Downtown Ellicottville
photo/Nadine Saviano Photography
ELLICOTTVILLE - At this time last year, the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce had announced that for the 2nd year in a row, due to the pandemic, the Mardi Gras Parade would not take place. In their efforts to keep the spirit alive within our community, the Chamber encouraged local storefronts to decorate in the theme of Mardi Gras, and over at the 1887 Building, a massive ski boot, sculpted from snow, stood on the lawn for all passersby to enjoy.
Fast-forward to 2022, the Parade is a “Go” and the ski boot has been reinvented into a cool snowboarder, shredding amongst the trees. Created by artist Eric Jones, the massive snow sculpture stands at 9-feet tall and is the perfect depiction of our ski town.
“We brought Eric in last year to create a work of art that our community members and those that were able to visit could enjoy, and it truly became an iconic piece,” said Brian McFadden, executive director of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce. “People came from all over to see the larger-than-life ski boot, have their photo taken with it … even though we weren’t able to host the parade last year, the boot brought a sense of celebration to our ski town. It was great! And kids absolutely loved it!”
If you’re not familiar with the name Eric Jones, chances are you’re familiar with some of his works. Jones is a nationally known pumpkin carver and snow sculptor and has been featured on some pretty big networks, most recently CNN, ESPN, FOX Weather and FOX NFL as a result of his famed Buffalo Bills snow sculptures that went viral this past season. The sculptures popped up in towns across western New York - from Clarence to Eden to Cuba, NY featuring everyone’s favorite quarterback, Josh Allen.
Jones is also well known for his caricature drawings. Through his business of over 20 years, ‘Eric Jones Studios’ (ericjonesstudios.com) he has completed over 100,000 caricatures of people at live events and 70,000 more from photos. He travels all over the U.S. to showcase his skills and is a regular participant at Ellicottville’s Stroll the Streets, which takes place Friday evenings in the summer.
“I love working in Ellicottville,” said Jones. “The energy, the people … it’s a lovely town with a fun vibe and appreciation for talent. Last year I created the giant ski boot. This year I brought in the snowboarder, in mid-jump. I love creating, and Ellicottville provides a great backdrop.”
With ample snow from Holiday Valley and transport provided by JD Northrup Construction, Jones worked through the night of Feb. 26th, completing the sculpture in just six hours.
“The Chamber would like to extend a sincere thank you to both Holiday Valley and to JD Northrup Construction for their assistance with this wonderful project,” said McFadden. “And we’re happy to have Eric Jones onboard again this year. His creativity and attention to detail is what sets him apart. Ellicottville is grateful to be able to have such amazing talent on display right here in our downtown business district. It will be the perfect complement to our Mardi Gras celebration, scheduled for Saturday, March 12th.”
Plan a visit to Ellicottville soon to capture the beauty of Ellicottville’s “snow”boarder sculpture. Follow @visitellicottville on IG and upload your snow sculpture selfies using #visitellicottville for a chance to be featured on the Chamber’s page.
For more information about this year’s Mardi Gras Parade, visit ellicottvilleny.com or call 800-349-9099. Parade applications can also be accessed and filled out directly on the website.
The Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce provides advocacy, promotional and benefit solutions for its members - setting the standard for excellence in member service, community collaboration, business growth while achieving a high quality of life in Ellicottville and the surrounding area. We foster and promote business with our members while stimulating local economic growth. For more information about the Ellicottville chamber of Commerce, including membership, please visit http://www.ellicottvilleny.com.