A Brief History of Sand Castles and Sculptures

If you ever sat by the sea and molded the sand into towers and walls, creating a sand castle, you are certainly not alone. The art of sand castle building began a very long time ago, though documented evidence only starts about 500 years ago.

During the 14th century, records show that poet Balaram Das created devotional sand sculptures in his native India. Some people believe the ancient Egyptians recreated the pyramids and other shapes in sand, though there is no historical proof of this.

Philip McCord created an amazing sand likeness of a drowned woman and her baby in 1897, and this is believed to be the first instance of artistic sand sculpture. Soon afterwards so many folks were fascinated by this unique art form that it became an actual business in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Here locals paid to watch sand artists who were creating large decorative sand castles and other masterpieces on the beaches.

By the 1970's, California became the site of a new kind of sand castle builder: the professional sand artist. In fact, the SSI (Sand Sculptors International) was created there by Todd VanderPluym and Gerry Kirk to create standards for creating this type of art. They also organized teams of sand artists to create large, extremely detailed works of art. Today many towns with a beach host events and award prizes to professional and amteur sand sculptors alike.

Sand castles are generally fun little structures created by children to pass the time at the beach, but there are also professional sand sculptors who produce large, complex castles and other works of art from sand. Thousands of professional sand artists are commissioned to display custom-created sand sculptures and sand castles for all types of events worldwide.

This long evolution has resulted in a unique art form which is now called "sand art." It is defined as the practice of molding and shaping sand into an artistic form, such as a sand sculpture, a sand painting, or other form of shaped sand. A sand castle is one type of sand sculpture which most of us recognize and may even choose to create.

The art of sand sculpting is unique in that a patron is able to watch the piece actually being formed and shaped as the artist works. This type of "art in action" is certainly fascinating for people of all ages.

Often famous sand artists are asked to create original displays that feature a specific brand or product, and to interface with the public and media to promote the sponsors of the art. These sculptures can be built indoors or out, and can be treated to last for much longer than a child's sand castle on the beach. The sculptures make great advertisements for companies because people never seem to tire of viewing this amazing and unique art.

The possibilities for creating with sand are endless. Sand sculptures can weigh up to 5000 tons, and can be made in any shape or form imaginable to match a theme or event. Unlike the anonymous artists of the past, most of today's top sand artists earn a living from their work, and many compete for titles and large cash prizes. Hundreds of annual competitions are held all over the world.

Fort Myers, Florida hosts one such competition annually. Their American Sand Sculpting Championship & Beach Festival is held each year in November and generally draws close to 100,000 attenders. A dozen or more of the world's top Master Sand Sculptors generally participate, creating their masterpieces on the sandy beaches of the town, each hoping to win a large prize.

Like most sand sculpting events, the Championship is open to the public and is free. The sculptures are on display behind velvet ropes to protect them from the audience. However, paying a small fee entitles you to a VIP pass, which allows you to take a step behind the ropes and get up close and personal with the masterpieces and the sand masters who created them.

As in most sand sculpting competitions, the rules require the finished sculpture to be sprayed with a sealer, usually a water and glue mix. This protects the sculpture from the elements and preserves it for the judges and spectators to view. Sealed sculptures can hold their shape for months.

Amateur castle builders can also enroll is a separate competition on a different section of the beach. Smaller prizes are awarded to the winners of these events, but it's a great way to get some experience and build a reputation in this unique art medium.

The rest of us are quite content to view the amazing work of the professionals, either in person or online. And maybe when we get to the beach we will slap some sand in a bucket, tip it out and create our own imaginative little sand castle to enjoy.


Resources:
http://www.sandcastlecentral.com/resources/history.htmlhttp://www.hobby.net.au/flex/arts-and-crafts/734/sand-castle-building.cfmhttp://sandsculpting.com/about.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_art_and_play