Tajana Raukar Five Time World Champion
http://www.icedreams.cc
Photo: Morris Richardson II / The Detroit News
Ice sculptor Tajana Raukar works on her piece called "Reindeer" in front of her Plymouth home, where she prepares for the Plymouth International Ice Sculptor Spectacular.
Contact:
Address: 1280 Junction St
Plymouth, MI 48170
Phone: (734) 207-3363
Email: PaulRaukar@aol.com
Website http://www.icedreams.cc
Money loss won't stop ice festival
By Shanteé Woodards / The Detroit News
Ice fest details
* The Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular, celebrating its 20th anniversary, will be Jan. 16-21 in Kellogg Park.
* The ice show will feature more than 100 sculptures in downtown Plymouth and an exhibit at the Plymouth Historical Museum, 115 S. Main. Judges will rate sculptures for student, team and individual competitions.
Tajana Raukar uses six blocks of ice weighing 300 pounds to create "Reindeer."
PLYMOUTH -- Tajana Raukar was studying to become a chef when she decided to give ice sculpting a try. She took classes from an instructor she knew and by the beginning of the year, she entered into her first competition -- the Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular. She won second place in the student competition. That was five years ago. Since then, she has opened an ice carving studio and traveled around the world for different sculpting events.
Raukar considers the Plymouth festival one of her favorites, but she wasn't surprised that organizers were having a difficult time raising money for the event. "If money is a problem, we can't expect as much," said Raukar, who will compete in the 2002 ice carving olympics. "(The financial difficulties) are part of living today. There is nothing you can do about it."
Officials at Watts-Up Inc., which promotes the event, said the festival will go on despite the challenges. It has received last-minute help from Plymouth Cadillac dealer Don Massey, who became a sponsor, and a $4,000 contribution from the city's Downtown Development Authority.
Fund-raising for the ice show is down 30 percent this year and it previously lost its largest sponsor, auto supplier Johnson Controls. The festival is not-for-profit and relies on donations and sponsorships.
Mike Watts, head of Watts-Up Inc., attributed the financial situation to this year's harsh economic conditions. Big businesses and corporations are facing tighter budgets and when it comes to donations, many opt to give toward relief efforts for families in New York and Washington, D.C., instead of local events.
But the show will still go on, Watts said.
"Hundreds of people .. are joining hands and making sure the event comes off," Watts said. "It's a tribute to Plymouth and all the people here. This will be the largest and most spectacular event in North America this year." This year's competition will be held from Jan. 16-21 in Kellogg Park. The free show is a 24-hour event and ice carvers come from around the world to display their work. It is billed as the oldest, largest ice carving event in North America. More than $10,000 in prize money, scholarships and awards will be presented. The ice festival began in 1981 as a way to bring in more traffic to downtown businesses. More than 10 million people have come to the event since then, spending their dollars with local retailers. City officials said it has become an even greater boost for restaurants and bars that are able to attract new customers.
Matt Cassidy works at Backyard Birds Garden and Nature Store in downtown Plymouth. He said the store is able to get more customers than usual during the ice festival.
"But most of the people are looking, not buying," Cassidy said. "But (the extra business) doesn't hurt ... a lot of people don't know about the store, because they are not here."
This isn't the first time officials have had a hard time with the event. Ron Loiselle, a festival organizer, said the 1993 event almost didn't happen because of a lack of funds. But Massey, the Cadillac dealer, became a sponsor and helped with a lot of the money problems.
Earlier this year, festival organizers struggled to repay an overdue debt to the city. Organizers owed the city more than $7,000 for providing cleanup, police and road closures for the 2001 festival. That event brought in revenues of $140,000, but another $10,000 was needed to break even. The money was due to the city in May, but it wasn't paid until November.
Like all businesses, ice carvers have been feeling the effects of this year's economic conditions. At this time of year, Raukar is usually working on sculptures for holiday parties and dinners. But that didn't happen this year, since many celebrations have been canceled.
"I hope everything will be fine," she said. "Because of the happenings in September, people are afraid to spend money. It's difficult."
You can reach Shanteé Woodards at (734)354-4049 or at swoodards@detnews.com.
Plymouth Bureau: (734) 354-4048; Fax: (734) 354-4046
235 South Main St., Plymouth, Mich. 48170
http://www.detnews.com/2002/wayne/0201/01/
TAJANA RAUKAR, RODOM S KRKA, U SAD-u IZRAĐUJE SKULPTURE OD LEDA I TROSTRUKA JE SVJETSKA PRVAKINJA U TOM NEOBICNOM SPORTU/ZANIMANJU
Primorka oblikuje ledene blokove na minus 30 Celzijevih
Kad smo suprug i ja 1995. godine preselili u Ameriku intezivnije sam se pocela baviti skulpturama, a ubrzo sam se u Plymouthu posvetila ledenim skulpturama koje se u Americi koriste pri dekoraciji stolova na vjencanjima, prepricala je pocetak karijere Tajana Raukar
Impozantne skulpture od leda, osim na slikama ili televiziji, zasigurno je malo tko u Hrvatskoj imao priliku vidjeti u živo. Vijesti o cudesnim ledenim kreacijama, pa i citavim objektima »sazidanim« od leda, u nas se uglavnom može doznati iz rubrika za razbibrigu, a gotovo nikad u pregledima sportskih dogadanja iako se radi o olimpijskoj disciplini. Autori, pak, cudesnih ledenih zdanja iz hrvatske su perspektive velika nepoznanica, o njima zapravo ništa ne znamo, a i ukoliko su se njihova imena mogla cuti ili procitati, vjerojatno su u trenu zaboravljena. Jer, ipak sve se to dogada u dalekim zemljama, vjecito okovanim ledom, ciji stanovnici, u šestomjesecnim polarnim danima/nocima, »nemaju« što ciniti, pa, eto, vrijeme krate »suludim« aktivnostima. Medutim, takvo je razmišljanje posve krivo...
Slab interes za rukotvorine u Hrvatskoj
Naime, trostruka svjetska prvakinja u izradi skulptura od leda i sudionik zimskih Olimpijskih igara u Salt Lake Cityju 2002. godine, je iz Hrvatske. Ona se zove Tajana Raukar, rodena je u hrvatskom Zagorju, a odrasla na Krku gdje je upoznala i svog supruga Paula Raukara. Poput mnogih Hrvata, slavu je stekla izvan domovine, u Americi, jer u Hrvatskoj njezina nadarenost nije prepoznata. Za svega šest-sedam godina života u inozemstvu, obitelj Raukar stekla je veliku slavu, k tomu je u gradu Plymouthu pokrenula uspješan posao izrade skulptura od leda, što je danas veliki hit u Americi, te pronijela slavu Hrvatske diljem svijeta.
- U pocetku sam, dok sam još živjela na Krku, izradivala skulpture od gline, zatim voca i povrca. No, interesa za takav oblik stvaralaštva u nas nije bilo. Kad smo suprug i ja 1995. godine preselili u Ameriku intezivnija sam se pocela baviti skulpturama, a ubrzo sam se u Plymouthu posvetila ledenim skulpturama koje se u Americi koriste pri dekoraciji stolova na vjencanjima, prepricava svoje pocetke karijere Tajana Raukar.
Tijekom pet dana cetiri skulpture
U Plymouthu Tajana Raukar prvi put sudjeluje na amaterskom takmicenju u »Ice Carvingu«. No, kako je izradila višestruko uspješniju ledenu skulpturu od ostalih sudionika, receno joj je kako više ne može sudjelovati na amaterskim natjecanjima. Prelazak medu profesionalce bio je više nego uspješan, do danas Tajana Raukar osvojila je 40-ak prvih mjesta na takmicenjima profesionalaca. Dakako, s najviše ponosa istice trostruku titulu svjetskog prvaka u »Ice carvingu« u organizaciji »The National Ice Carving Association« (NICA). Prvi put u ekipnom takmicenju sudjelovala je 2000. godine na Aljasci. Godinu dana kasnije, takoder na Aljasci, s ledenom skulpturom propetih konja, Tajana Raukar, u momcadi s Aaronom Costicem, Stevom Briceom i Marjom Pohjoisahom ponavlja uspjeh. Pod hrvatskom zastavom prošle godine u Belgiji po treci je put svjetska prvakinja u izradi ledenih skulptura, što je u belgijskom tisku iznimno popraceno. Na prvenstvu u Belgiji, prema propozicijama natjecanja, sudionici su, tijekom pet dana, trebali izraditi cetiri razlicite skulpture tematski povezane.
Cetvrta na zimskoj Olimpijadi
Hrvatska predstavnica predstavila se s ledenim skulpturama naslovljenim - Voda, Vatra, Zrak i Zemlja, cime je oduševila ocjenjivacki žiri. Svemu tome, treba pridodati i cetvrto mjesto na Olimpijskim igrama u Salt Lake Cityju, gdje je s Aaronom Kosticem izradila orla, kao simbola americke nacije, probodenog strijelom, kao njihove posvete tragicnim teroristickim napadima. Tajana Raukar ne krije svoje razocaranje prijemom svih njezina uspjeha u Hrvatskoj. Tim više, jer je »Ice Carving« svojim iznimno zahtjevnim umjetnicko-sportskom karakteristikama stekao veliku popularnost u svijetu. »Ledena umjetnost« zahtijeva iznimnu kreativnost, poznavanje crtackih tehnika, izdržljivost na niskim temperaturama (na Aljasci skulpture su radene na temperaturi od minus 30 stupnjeva Celzijevih), te fizicku snagu, jer se stvara u ledenim santama od nekoliko stotina kilograma, i to s alatima koje je potrebno »ukrotiti«, motorne pile, bušilice sa svrdlima, specijalni noževi i dizalice pomocu kojih se slažu blokovi.
Srdan BRAJCIC
http://www.novilist.hr/Default.asp?WCI=Rubrike&WCU=285F286328592863285A
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All sculptures are hand carved to perfection by Tajana Raukar.
Contact:
Address: 1280 Junction St
Plymouth, MI 48170
Phone: (734) 207-3363
Email: PaulRaukar@aol.com
Website http://www.icedreams.cc
