Snow sculptures captivate New London community

Snow sculptures on Hempstead Street are bringing joy to a New London neighborhood, while they last.

NEW LONDON, Conn. —

While much of the snow from a recent blizzard is beginning to melt, one man’s hard work is still standing tall and drawing crowds in New London.

A series of handcrafted snow sculptures, mostly animals, line Hempstead Street. The creations have become a neighborhood attraction, giving residents something to smile about at the end of a long, cold winter.

Terri Keaton, who lives nearby, said the sculptures have brought joy to the area.

“We’ve had traffic stop here. They get out of their cars, taking pictures with themselves and their family,” said Keaton. “With all this snow, and everyone getting sad locked inside their homes, it just felt really nice to see somebody out doing something positive with it.”

The artist behind the display is Nick Barton. His mother, Jane Barton, said the project started as a way to bond with his nephew Jack after the storm.

“Nick spends a lot of time taking care of his nephew. He’s deaf and partially blind,” said Barton. “When the snowstorm came, Nick decided this would be a fun project for Jack, and the two of them just had so much fun out here building all these different creatures.”

After Jack returned home to Boston, Nick continued refining the sculptures, adding more teeth to the alligator, extending the elephant trunk and even creating a snowy companion for the snowman.

“I really liked the snowman with the dog,” said Barton. “It was raining one day, and I said to Nick, ‘It’s so sad it’s raining, you should put an umbrella over him,’ and he did.”

Neighbors say the sculptures have provided comfort during a difficult season.

“My family is really into elephants.” Keaton said. “Recently, we had some bad things happening, and I got very sick. When I came home from the hospital, he was building this elephant. And we just felt like it was a sign.”

Camelia Garcia, another New London neighbor, will be sad to see the artwork melt but is already looking forward to what comes next.

“I’m definitely going to be sad, but I’m also excited to see what other medium he takes up,” said Garcia. “I want to see some wood. When fall comes around, I want to see some leaves put into a shape. Just go with the season.”

For now, the snow sculptures remain on display on Hempstead Street a block down from Williams Memorial Park.

Jamel Johnson is a Multi-Skilled Journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jjohnson@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

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Snow sculptures captivate New London community

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