Spend a day on the shore at SCAD Sand Arts Festival

Contest Rules

Competitions are open to SCAD students, alumni, faculty and staff, who may compete individually or in teams of up to four members. Select awards are open to groups with special accommodations chosen by the Sand Arts committee prior to the event. Work in all categories is judged on creativity of design, quality of craft and excellence of detail.

Contestants may begin work 10 a.m., Friday, May 11, 2018. Sculpting in the wrong area before that time may result in participants being asked to start over in the correct area. Contestants should also work above the tide line — low tide is 11:30 a.m. and high tide occurs at 5:40 p.m.

Participants are responsible for all materials brought to the beach. No glass is permitted, and all garbage and materials should be collected, stored, discarded or removed from the beach by the end of the day. Contestants may not walk in the sand dunes or disturb the beach grass.

The festival is a family event. Any artwork that contains nudity, profanity or other content deemed inappropriate by festival officials will be removed.

Judges or festival officials can disqualify artists for failure to adhere to any of the above guidelines.

Sand categories

(Includes sand castle, sand sculpture and sand relief categories)

• Entries in the sand castle, sculpture and sand relief competitions must contain only sand and natural objects found on the beach, such as shells, driftwood and seaweed. The use of color or binding agents other than water is not permitted.

Sand castle category

• Sculpt large-scale works resembling castle architecture.

Sand relief category

• Relief is a hybrid between drawing and sculpture.
• These 3-D works are shorter than sand sculptures and must be less than 3 feet tall.
• Relief entries may be carved into the beach, modeled on top or both.
• Works may be representational, abstract or nonrepresentational.

Sand sculpture category

• These large-scale works must be at least 3 feet tall.
• Works should be sculpted fully in the round.
• Works may be representational, abstract or nonrepresentational.

Air category

• Entries in the air competition may include kites, inflatable or flying sculptural forms and kinetic, wind-powered objects.
• Entries must be self-sufficient and sturdy and cannot require the use of a generator or electronics for assistance.
• Human-powered projects that interact with the wind are acceptable.
• Contestants may arrive with their work anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Friday, May 11.

Sand jam category

Take part in a "Gesture Jam" on the beach, drawing the events of the SCAD Sand Arts Festival 2018 in real time.

• Bring drawing media (brush pens, markers, felt-tip pens, etc.) and a personal sketchbook for warmups.
• At the check-in tent, pick up materials on which to draw your final piece.
• Subject matter and color palette are open.
• Submit your best sketch and return clipboards to the Sand Jam tent by 2:30 p.m.
• Judges look for expression of mark making, sense of mass, technical handling of media and movement.
• An exhibition of selected entries will be held after the festival.

For more information, contact Susan Hopp at [email protected].

What to bring

• Picnic lunch
• Drinking water
• Sunscreen
• Shovel
• Bucket
• Carving tools (putty knife, trowel, spoon, etc.)
• Cheap paint brush
• For sand jam: pencil and a sketchbook

Awards and prizes

Each registered individual or group is eligible to win no more than one award or prize. Only students who have registered to compete will be eligible to receive prize money. Participants must be present to collect the awarded prize and are required to fill out appropriate paperwork for the disbursement of prize money to individuals or teams.

Participants vie for the following overall awards:

• SCAD Spirit: $2,500 — features bee and acorn imagery inspired by the university's history, global growth, international community and artistic culture; or SCAD architecture from Savannah, Atlanta, Hong Kong or Lacoste as a main design theme.
• Best of Show: $1,200 — chosen by SCAD alumnus and visiting mentor Abel Macias (B.F.A., illustration, 2002).
• SCAD Student Group: $1,000 — open only to groups of foundation studies students for designs in all categories except Sand Jam.
• Class Project: $1,000 — open to designs in all categories except Sand Jam in which an entire class (outside of foundation studies) participates. Eligible classes will be chosen by the Sand Arts committee prior to the event.
• Prysmian New Energy Award: $1,000 — open to designs in the air category using Prysmian materials. Eligible teams will be chosen by the Sand Arts committee prior to the event.

Participants also compete for the following category-specific prizes. Winners of overall awards are not eligible to win these prizes.

Sand castle

• Winner: $1,000
• Runner-up: $800

Sand relief

• Winner: $1,000
• Runner-up: $800

Sand sculpture

• Winner: $1,000
• Runner-up: $800

Air

• Winner: $1,000
• Runner-up: $800

Sand jam

• Winner: $500
• Runner-up: $300

For Sand Jam competitors, there will be additional awards presented 4:30 p.m., May 18, 2018, at the Sand Arts Speed-sketch Exhibition in Wallin Hall.

For more information, contact Susan Hopp at [email protected].

SCAD student participants

Buses will run a continual loop between Turner House, Oglethorpe House and Tybee Island’s South Beach between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to limit parking congestion at South Beach.

Morning buses pick up at Turner House and Oglethorpe House at 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. to drop students off at South Beach.

Afternoon buses pick up at South Beach and return students to Turner House and Oglethorpe House at 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Driving directions

• Follow U.S. Highway 80 East to Tybee Island.
• Continue on Highway 80 until the road turns south and becomes Butler Avenue
• Turn left on 14th, 15th or 16th street.
• Parking lots are located at the end of 14th, 15th and 16th streets.
• Registration will be located in the pavilion at the entrance to the pier.
• Overflow parking is available at the metered spaces located on Butler Avenue and on the adjoining side streets.
• Once parked, head for the pavilion via the ramp or stairs to check in. The competition area is located next to the pier.

Parking

For contestants

Students are highly encouraged to use the free SCAD buses or to carpool due to limited parking on Tybee Island. Free parking permits for the large parking lots at the end of 14th, 15th and 16th streets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to one permit per team. Permits do not guarantee a parking space. Improper parking at Tybee may result in your car being ticketed or towed.

For visitors

Visitors may use inexpensive metered parking on Butler Avenue. Side street parking is allowed only in metered areas.

Participants and spectators at the SCAD Sand Arts Festival should be respectful of Tybee residents and their homes at all times.

For more information, contact Susan Hopp at [email protected].

For nearly 25 years, SCAD students, faculty and staff have joined high school students on Tybee Island to create works of art in the sand. Take a look at these sculptures from previous years.

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