Brian Lucas is a regular contributor. He lives in Kenwood.
Left: Brian Mogren and a crew of volunteers braved single-digit wind chills to install ice memorials honoring Renee Good and Alex Pretti. His dedication, from the 40-hour vigil on the North Side to the glowing sculptures at the Luminary Loppet, reflects his belief in community, healing and showing up for neighbors when it matters most. (Images: Brian Lucas)
Right: At the 2026 Loppet’s Enchanted Forest, candles and ice sculptures honor the lives
of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two community members who were fatally shot by federal immigration enforcement agents in January. Good, a poet, was killed during an Enforcement and Removal Operations action, and Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was later killed in a separate confrontation with Border Patrol agents. The memorial — visited by neighbors, friends and loved ones — stood as a place to remember their lives, grieve together and reflect on the broader impact of these events on the community. (Image: Craig Wilson)
On a frigid February day, with wind chills in the single digits, Brian Mogren and a team of volunteers hauled blocks of ice from a truck to the shoreline of Lake of the Isles.
Cold hands and windswept faces were no match for their sense of purpose: bringing the community together to honor the memories of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
“I knew this was something we had to do,” Mogren said. “This community has been through so much, but we’ve also come together, and the Loppet offered a great way to bring our tribute to thousands of people.”
From Vigil to Loppet
Mogren is one of the organizers of the North Side Luminary Light Up, an annual event held at the Old Highland Peace Garden at 18th Avenue and Emerson Avenues North. This year’s gathering, held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, was billed as a celebration of light, love and community.
The 40-hour vigil honored Good and Pretti while also celebrating immigrant neighbors and emphasizing solidarity. The event raised more than $5,000 for immigrant families at Ascension Church and School located in North Minneapolis.
As part of the vigil, Mogren commissioned two 20-by-40-inch ice sculptures depicting the now-iconic portraits of Good and Pretti. Mogren designed the tributes, and a local ice company carved them. After witnessing visitors’ emotional response, he decided to bring the sculptures to the Luminary Loppet.
“These two images really capture the spirit of Alex and Renee,” Mogren said. “People at the event were sometimes breathless as they stood before them, just taking it in, tears falling. It was an emotional experience.”
Personal Symbols of Remembrance
Volunteers added individual touches to each memorial. Good’s display featured white roses and letters spelling out “See the Good.” Pretti’s memorial spelled out his name in ice and included bicycle tires, symbolizing his love of cycling. The exhibits also featured poems written after their deaths by poet and activist Amanda Gorman.
“We felt like we needed to respond to the pain the city is experiencing,” Mogren said. “When we first installed them and people began to walk up, I just broke down. I had been working long hours and was sleep deprived, but seeing the finished work was overwhelming. Sometimes it’s too much. I’ve seen people turn away and stand with their backs to the ice, just crying.”
The memorials were placed in the Enchanted Garden area of the Luminary Loppet, joining the lanterns and illuminated displays that draw thousands to the lake each year.
“To experience this kind of beauty is just so fleeting and ethereal, almost like their lives. They’re gone too soon. Beautiful and gone too soon.”
— Brian Mogren
Beauty, Grief and Community
For Mogren, the ice sculptures offered a moment of collective healing.
“I am in awe of how people are stepping up for one another and for our neighbors who are living in fear,” he said. “When I asked for help with the North Side event, people just showed up. Even today, we had six or seven people come to the garden to get a head start so everything would be exactly right.”
After the Loppet concluded, Mogren and other volunteers returned nightly to keep candles glowing at the memorials for as long as the tribute could endure. He said there was something fitting about using ice — “the good kind of ice,” he noted — to honor Good and Pretti.
“To experience this kind of beauty is just so fleeting and ethereal, almost like their lives,” Mogren said. “They’re beautiful and gone too soon.” While the sculptures will melt, he said, the legacy of the neighbors they honored will not.
