Regina snow sculptor raising funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters

A front-yard snow sculpture display in Regina is drawing in visitors with a towering Santa smile and a silent message of love, while also bringing in money for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Local artist Bron Nurkowski said the display on Elphinstone Street was designed to “share the smiles and share the love,” while encouraging donations to support youth mentorship programs in the city.

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“You can donate money, but you’d be surprised what that money does – how that shares the love and how that shares a smile,” Nurkowski said.

The sculpture series was part of Nurkowski’s annual holiday build and his third year of fundraising for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Regina, according to the organization. The display includes a giant smiling Santa head and the American Sign Language symbol for “I love you.”

Nurkowski said the idea to carve snow started years earlier on a beach.

The display includes a giant smiling Santa head and the American Sign Language symbol for “I love you,” inspired in part by his wife’s work as a sign language interpreter. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)

While he was travelling, he said he built sand sculptures on beaches because he did not like “sitting.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel was paused, he said he began experimenting with snow instead of sand.

“The first couple of years, I just made it for fun,” he said, adding that the partnership with the mentoring organization came after he started thinking about how his hobby could benefit others.

“Playing in the snow reminded me of being a kid,” Nurkowski said.

“If this makes, you know, people smile, maybe it’s an opportunity to have a fundraiser for Big Brothers and Sisters.”

Nurkowski said the building process was time consuming, with each sculpture taking about 20 hours to complete. He said he constructed forms out of plywood and lumber, then packed them with snow, removed the framing and carved the finished shapes by hand.

He said many of his past works shared a common theme: large smiling faces meant to prompt a reaction from viewers. This year, he said the theme expanded into a message about love, inspired in part by his wife’s work as a sign language interpreter.

“I was trying to figure out how to translate the love without using words,” Nurkowski said, explaining how the American Sign Language sculpture became part of his design this year.

Amy Mohr, director of development and communications with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Regina, said the sculptures served as both a fundraiser and a major awareness boost for the organization.

“The sculptures are magnificent once again this year,” Mohr said.

Mohr said the display’s visibility helps highlight the organization’s ongoing need for mentors and funding.

“The awareness that it brings to our mentoring programs and our need for mentors, our need for funding… you just can’t measure that,” she said, adding that the exposure has been “worth its weight in gold.”

She said money raised through the project stays in Regina and supports existing mentoring matches while also helping to create new ones.

Mohr said people can donate by scanning the QR code posted alongside the display at 3027 Elphinstone Street, donating online, or arranging payment by phone.

Nurkowski said he hopes the display left people with a lasting reminder that small acts, including donations, can translate into real support for kids and families in the community.