Owatonna boy’s drawing inspiration for St. Paul Winter Carnival sculpture

An Owatonna boy’s drawing is the model for an ice sculpture at the St. Paul Winter Carnival.

Ean Bassett’s loon drawing was chosen by artist Tom Klug as the inspiration for his Winter Carnival sculpture.

Ean, 15, has been a patient at Children’s Minnesota in St. Paul since he was 11 years old. As a member of the Youth Advisory Council at Children’s Minnesota, he drew and submitted a picture to the Carving for Kids contest.  Carnival sculptors chose patient drawings to use from their ice works, and Ean’s drawing was selected.

As part of the contest, Ean got the opportunity to meet Klug and watch his drawing come to life from ice.  He was also interviewed by Twin Cities media.

Klug is not only a long-time carver at the carnival; his daughter once spent time as a patient at Children’s Minnesota in St. Paul.

Bassett’s mother Kari, said he was born four weeks early and was later diagnosed with epilepsy.  But Eon continued to struggle with “failure to thrive,” and he was referred to Children’s Minnesota at age 11 because his condition had become life-threatening. He spent two months in the hospital and has been meeting regularly with specialists since that time.  Drawing and art became something special to him as he passed time at the hospital.

Ean and Klug’s loon sculpture will be on display until the end of February.