FARMINGTON – Susun Terese jabbed a piece of sheet metal into the snow, then pulled it out before she did it again. She did it several times until she could lift out a long, narrow block of snow.

She carried it over to the igloo she and others were building.

Terese, of Farmington, Gene Fahn of Chesterville, and Diane Soares of Wilton were making a snow sculpture for the Snowbound Hoedown contest sponsored by the student organization Ministry of Experimental Arts at the University of Maine at Farmington campus.

The three friends, all 57 years old, had done some research on building an igloo before they began.

Terese printed out directions and brought them with her.

They had considered other sculptures, including an alligator and a Buddha, but chose an igloo, she said.

Each took a role. Terese was the engineer and block cutter, Fahn the block layer and builder, and Soares the packer and smoother of the exterior.

Before they began, they tamped down an area with snowshoes so the blocks could be cut, Terese said. The block she carried was 6 inches wide, 6 inches deep and 18 inches long.

They improvised on a few things, including the thickness of the blocks, because they had to use what was available.

At 1 p.m. the igloo was about 8 feet across and already had a cold drop built. That’s a small hole at the bottom of the igloo for a space where the cold air would come in. Then there was an elevated area where people could sit or sleep.

The igloo blocks were laid down, one course upon another, in circles of decreasing circumference. By the time they would finish, the igloo dome would be about 6 feet high.

Fahn squirted some water on the blocks before he melded them together with a trowel.

If it was sunny and warm instead of overcast, Fahn said, they would need the water.

Soares used a trowel to pack the snow on the exterior and smoothed it out as she worked her way around the sculpture.

Fahn had seen the contest advertised, and they decided to enter as a team.

“I’ve been bored, and the economy kind of got to me. I was looking for something fun to occupy my mind,” he said.