Mark your calendars for this Friday, May 6 because the Savannah College of Art and Design Sand Arts Festival is back! After a two-year hiatus due to covid, the festival is making its long-awaited return to Tybee Island’s South Beach. Come out and watch SCAD students, alumni and staff create stunning sand sculptures and compete for coveted prizes. The Sand Arts festival is free and open to the public, so there’s no reason not to come out to this fun, family-friendly affair.
Participants will begin sculpting at 10 a.m. Judging will start at 2 p.m., and the winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m. Sculptors will compete for traditional categories and a few new additions as well. Categories include Sandcastle, Sand Sculpture, Sand Relief, Air, Sand Jam Drawing and SCAD Spirit Awards among others. In celebration of the fest’s return, higher prize money is being awarded. After the winners are awarded, spectators can join participants in the “sundown stomp” to reset South Beach by leveling sculptures, restoring it to its pristine, pre-festival condition.
The Sand Arts festival is one of the many ways SCAD demonstrates its love for the local community. “The Sand Arts festival has value for our students and our community. It gives the students a chance to not just enjoy Tybee, the natural resources of the beach, and one another, but to also become a part of the community by sharing their talents and gifts,” said Lisa Rundstrom, SCAD foundation studies professor and organizer of this year’s festival.
“It is great for the community to meet some of the students, [and] see the vibrant charisma they share with us every day. Art and SCAD are a part of the Savannah area community, and this event provides a
unique opportunity for us to connect to one another through our love of art, community and our beautiful location,” she added.
Hundreds of students, staff and alumni will participate in the festival, creating more than 100 sand sculptures, transforming the beach into an open-air art gallery. It’s a great time that you won’t want to miss. To learn more about the sand arts festival, visit https://www.scad.edu/event/2022-05-06-ready-your-shades-and-shovels-scad-sand-arts-festival-2022.
