Sand Arts Festival washes up on Tybee
In the early 90s, an art history professor decided to take his class out of their stuffy room and onto Tybee Beach to create art in the sand.
His students were so enthralled by the experience that the field trip has transformed into one of the university’s most popular annual events, the SCAD Sand Arts Festival. The festival is sponsored by the Gray Reef’s Oceanographic Administration, the foundation studies department and sculpture minors. It attracts over 430 students, professors, and alumni who group along the beach looking for the perfect spot to build their sculptures.
“It’s a 3D version of the Sidewalk Arts Festival,” says Chris Nitsche, a foundation studies professor. “This year we are two weeks after the Sidewalk Arts [because] it has to do with the tides.” However, the tides must recede as the day progresses to keep the delicate masterpieces from being washed out to sea before the end of the competition.
The Sand Arts Festival is divided into four categories: sand castles, sand sculptures, sand reliefs, and wind sculptures. In addition, there is the independent Gray’s Reef Best Underwater Sea Creature Prize.
“There are some teams that will even score two prizes because they might be picked out by Gray’s Reef … you can make a killing,” says Nitsche.
The Sand Arts Festival is perhaps the only day when beachgoers are less concerned with working on their tan. Although the festival begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m., the participants arrive hours earlier to get a head start on their intricate sand designs. They work tirelessly under the sun to create their masterpieces and make sure they are stable.
When asked why the Sand Arts Festival has become such a huge deal over the years, Nitche replied, “Why not? I mean, you spend a day at the beach, playing in the sand, and the weather is always wonderful on Sand Arts day. No questions. The weather is always beautiful.”
Slather up the sunscreen, enjoy the sunny weather and sand scenery, and go let the Sand Arts Festival be your warm welcome into the new season.
