A passion for sand art brought together world-class sand sculptors for three days of funk and blues music and artistic competition.
The Sanding Ovations Master Sand Sculpting Competition and Music Festival was hosted behind the Bilmar Beach Resort on Treasure Island beach from Nov. 18 to Nov. 22. Sand sculptures were illuminated each evening with colored lights to accentuate each unique piece.
Jonathan Bouchard from Montreal, Canada won first place and people’s choice with Love Never Dies. Two half-buried skeletons were sculpted out of sand. They lie next to each other, looking into their empty eye sockets as they held one another in a loving embrace.
Chris Guinto from Key West, Fla. won second place with The Ripper. A giant top hat, one I thought of as the mad hatter’s hat, was sculpted with and huge mouth held open with wines. A person was grasping on for life as she was being swallowed by the hat. Unfortunately the teeth collapsed, but it is still a stunning sculpture.
Sue McGrew from Tacoma, Washington won third place and sculptors’ choice with Vertigo. Figures of women were sculpted into as if they were a vortex of angels with an opening in the middle I interpreted as the entrance to reality from the spiritual world. On the other side, a giant face protruded from a spiral design. The eyes were carved open. I interpreted as the eyes are the window to the soul.
Funk was brought to the beach with a “funk-a-delic” performance by Holey Miss Moley, Rev. Funky D and Cope on Friday. Bands like the Black Honkeys and Rocket Man Show on Saturday. T.C. Carr & Bolts of Blue got the crowd dancing with the blues on Sunday.
According to the Sanding Ovations Facebook page, the event was almost cancelled because Treasure Island “neighbors” attempted to stop all events from occurring on the beach with no beach parking. A recent ruling by the Pinellas County Circuit Court determined that a limited number of vehicles could be parked on the beaches during events.
Sanding Ovations posted that if cars were not allowed on the beach, the sand used for the sculptures could not be delivered and they would not have the stage, beer trucks and vendors.
The organization said that Bilmar Beach Resort was a great neighbor for their support in allowing events on the beach for the festivities.
Sculptures will be on display and illuminated in the evenings until Jan. 10, 2015.
