Here is Chris Hunter's biography in his own words.
"I was born in the Lower Ninth Ward on Roman street and went to John McDonogh 19 Elementary, where i first discovered my talent for art. When I was in the secont grade the teacher put some vegetables in front of the class and asked us to draw them, and when I finished - all the kids gathered around and were staring at my drawing. I asked the teacher "Why are they looking at my picture?" and the teacher said - "Go and look at their pictures!" I did, and teacher asked "What do you think?", so I said "They can't draw!", because they just draw simple shapes, and my picture had all the little details...So that's how I became the Class Artist...In third grade I won 3d place in all-school Science Exhibit for a drawing about the life of insects, and the same year I won the first place in St.Ramond Art Contest. I painted all the backdrops and scenary for my graduation Ball in 9th grade. When I was in high school I won John Mc.Donogh High School "Most Creative" title in both sophamore and junior years."
"I went to Southern University where I majored in fine and commercial art, and took a lot of sculpting classes. To pay my tuition I got a job in the kitchen of Mariott Hotel - that's where I first got interested in ice sculptures, I was watching the chefs doing ice carvings for the buffet and learned the technique. The first ice carving I did myself was for the Grand Opening of the Superdome...and got hired right away by Fairmont Hotel as a contract ice-sculptor, I was doing 2-3 functions a week for them for many years. I became so good at it, that while still in college, I was asked by Delgado Community College Culinary Department to teach ice-carving to their students."
" I worked for Fairmont Hotel for 20 years, doing both ice and lard/butter sculptures. I was hired by Superdome Food services to carve both ice and tallow, lard sculptures. I won 'The best of the show" for my tallow sculpture of a jazz band. I also did pumpkin carvings and won the Grand Pumkin-Pomkin carving contest at Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans. For many years I was the most experienced ice carver in the city, so I was really busy, doing 8-10 sculptures a week - weddings, banquests, hotel functions, my phone was ringing all day long..."
"I stayed in my Gentilly house during Katrina and I had a boat, so I paddled my neighbours to safety when we got flooded. I also fed 20 cats people left behind...I drunk some flood water and got really sick, they flew me to San Antonio TX where I was in a hospital for a while. I could stay in San Antonio, they have a lot of hotels there I could work for and I was offered a job and free housing as Katrina victim, but I decided to come back and rebuild, New Orleans is my home! Now I am working on my house and still doing ice sculptures in my favorite city. I feel blessed that I can make a living doing what I love and be a part of the best culture in the whole world!"
"I went to Southern University where I majored in fine and commercial art, and took a lot of sculpting classes. To pay my tuition I got a job in the kitchen of Mariott Hotel - that's where I first got interested in ice sculptures, I was watching the chefs doing ice carvings for the buffet and learned the technique. The first ice carving I did myself was for the Grand Opening of the Superdome...and got hired right away by Fairmont Hotel as a contract ice-sculptor, I was doing 2-3 functions a week for them for many years. I became so good at it, that while still in college, I was asked by Delgado Community College Culinary Department to teach ice-carving to their students."
" I worked for Fairmont Hotel for 20 years, doing both ice and lard/butter sculptures. I was hired by Superdome Food services to carve both ice and tallow, lard sculptures. I won 'The best of the show" for my tallow sculpture of a jazz band. I also did pumpkin carvings and won the Grand Pumkin-Pomkin carving contest at Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans. For many years I was the most experienced ice carver in the city, so I was really busy, doing 8-10 sculptures a week - weddings, banquests, hotel functions, my phone was ringing all day long..."
"I stayed in my Gentilly house during Katrina and I had a boat, so I paddled my neighbours to safety when we got flooded. I also fed 20 cats people left behind...I drunk some flood water and got really sick, they flew me to San Antonio TX where I was in a hospital for a while. I could stay in San Antonio, they have a lot of hotels there I could work for and I was offered a job and free housing as Katrina victim, but I decided to come back and rebuild, New Orleans is my home! Now I am working on my house and still doing ice sculptures in my favorite city. I feel blessed that I can make a living doing what I love and be a part of the best culture in the whole world!"
Chris "Jazzy" Hunter with his skull and bones ice sculpture at the Witch Doctor's Ball 2011 ( Zulu Social and Pleasure Club, New Orleans)
Here's recent picture of Chris Jazzy Hunter with his sculpture at the Witch Doctor's Zulu Ball in the Mardi Gras Zone.
Below is a picture of Chris on the steps of his Gentilly house, which he is still rebuilding after Katrina, and some pictures of ice-carving in progress.