Fur Rondy 2011: CANstruction


Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

It’s a Rondy event that draws engineers, architects, sculptors and others with an “uncanny” sense of art and design.    And for the past four years this competition has produced creations that wound up on hundreds of tables in homes across Anchorage, as well as South Central and rural Alaska.

Susannah Morgan is Executive Director of the Food Bank of Alaska.  The “event” is the Food Bank’s annual “Canstruction” contest at Anchorage’s University Mall.

The idea is to build the most striking structure or sculpture from cans and boxes of foods.  And because the goal is not only to pursue art, but collect food, the bigger, the better.

Morgan says this year’s competition attracted about 10 groups and a variety of subjects.

The canstructions undergo two judgments.   One is by a panel which includes a judge from the national canstruction contest who will see that the local winner advances to the national competition.  But there’s also the people’s choice.  That’s decided by the number of cans of food that are placed into barrels set by each exhibit.  Each item is one vote and and viewers can vote through Saturday.

And unlike other elections, Morgan says everyone is encouraged to vote as often as they like.

Download Audio (MP3)

Previous articleMusher Finds Success Creating ‘Team Williams’ Legacy
Next articleFederal Regulation Lowers Permissible Amount of Benzene in Gasoline