Canceled: Soak up the sun, dazzling sculptures at SCAD Sand Arts Festival 2026

Contest rules

Sand Arts competitions are open to all SCAD students and alumni. Contestants may compete individually or in teams. Work in all categories is judged on creativity of design, quality of craft, and excellence of detail.

Event start: 10 a.m.
Judging: 2 p.m.
Award ceremony: 4–4:30 p.m.

Contestants who arrive early may start their work on the beach as soon as location flags have been placed after 9 a.m. Those who have completed pre-check-in at Wallin Hall and who have received their T-shirts and wristbands may go head directly to their assigned spot. Spots will correspond to the number on contestants' wristbands.

Standby registration

For students who have not registered prior to Friday, May 1, and who chose to compete on the day of, standby registration will take place at the South Beach pier, 11 a.m. to noon. Standby registration closes at noon that day.

Sculpting, location, and materials

Sculpting in the wrong area before time begins will result in contestants being asked to start over in their correct area. Contestants should also work above the tide line. Look for the high tide signs, category area, and category number.

Contestants are responsible for all materials brought to the beach. No glass containers or alcoholic beverages are 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 on the sand dunes or disturb the beach grass.

Eligibility and Participation Policy

The SCAD Sand Arts Festival competition is open exclusively to currently enrolled SCAD students and SCAD alumni. Only eligible participants may contribute to the design, construction, and execution of competition entries. Assistance from individuals who are not current SCAD students or alumni, including but not limited to friends, family members, parents, or external collaborators, is strictly prohibited in all competition categories. Any team found to have received unauthorized external assistance may be subject to disqualification at the discretion of festival organizers.

Judging and sand leveling

Judging begins at 2 p.m., however, contestants may continue editing their masterpieces as needed. After the 4 p.m. award ceremony, any contestants whose work was not awarded prizes will be asked to participate in the SCAD SERVE Sundown Stomp. During the Sundown Stomp, these contestants will level the sand in their area to return their area of the beach back to its original condition for the preservation of sea turtles and other wildlife.

All winning sculptures must remain on display until 5 p.m. or until after it has been photographed with SCAD’s media team. Competition winners will proceed to the pavilion to claim their winning prize.

Content

The festival is a family event. Any artwork that contains nudity, profanity, controversial content, or other content deemed inappropriate by festival officials will be removed. Judges or festival officials may disqualify artists for failure to adhere to any of the above guidelines.

Waivers

Sand Arts Festival contestants and students who wish to take SCAD buses to Tybee Island should complete the trip and transportation waiver. Contestants should also complete the photo and video release form.

Competition categories

Sand categories

Entries in the Sandcastle, Sculpture, and Sand Relief competitions must contain only sand and seawater. No other materials will be allowed. The use of other natural objects found on the beach (e.g., shells, driftwood, seaweed, etc.), as well as the use of color or binding agents, dyes, or supports is expressly prohibited. Students that use prohibited materials will be disqualified.

Sandcastle

• Sculpt large-scale works resembling castle architecture

Sand Relief
Relief is a hybrid between drawing and sculptures. These are physically shorter than sand sculptures and are primarily visible from one direction using the ground as the back side.

• May be carved into the beach, modeled on top, or both
• May be representational, abstract, or nonrepresentational
• Must be less than 3 feet tall

Sand Sculpture

• May be representational, abstract, or nonrepresentational
• Must be at least 3 feet tall
• Should be sculpted fully in the ground to be seen from all sides

Air

Contestants in this category may arrive with their work any time between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Friday, May 1. Installation must be completed by 1 p.m. to be considered for judging and awards.

• May include kites, inflatable or flying sculptural forms, and kinetic, wind-powered objects
• Must be self-sufficient and sturdy
• Must not require the use of a generator or electronics for assistance

Human-powered projects that interact with the wind are acceptable

Air Category Materials, Tools, and Transportation Policy
Participants in the Air category are fully responsible for transporting all materials, structures, tools, and equipment to and from the event site. Festival organizers will not provide transportation, storage, installation assistance, or return delivery of any materials under any circumstances. Participants must bring all necessary tools required for installation and removal, including hammers, ladders, scissors, fasteners, and any specialty equipment specific to their design.

At the conclusion of the event, all materials, including frames, supports, fabric, hardware, and debris, must be completely removed from the beach. All materials must be removed by participants at the end of the event. Items left behind will be disposed.

Sand Jam (Drawing)

During the Sand Jam on the beach, contestants will draw the events of the SCAD Sand Arts Festival in real time. Judges will watch for expression of mark-making, sense of mass, and technical handling of media and movement.

• Must bring drawing media (e.g., brush pens, markers, felt-tip pens, etc.) and a personal sketchbook for warmups
• Must pick up materials for final piece at the Sand Jam tent during the event
• Must register and check in to participate in the Sand Jam (If you missed the registration deadline and would like to participate, visit the pier at Tybee on the day of the event.)
• Must submit your best sketch and return clipboards to the Sand Jam tent by 2 p.m.

Subject matter and color palette are open. An exhibition of select entries will be held after the festival. For more information, contact professor Nick Reszetar at [email protected].

What to bring

• Bucket
• Bug spray
• Carving tools (i.e., putty knife, trowel, spoon, etc.)
• Cheap paint brush
• Pencil and a sketchbook (for Sand Jam)
• Phone to document work
• Picnic lunch and drinking water*
• Shovel
• Spray bottle to keep sand wet
• Sunscreen and a hat

*Lunch and food will not be provided during the festival, and restaurant options on the island are limited. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring a packed lunch and any snacks or beverages they may need for the day.

Awards and prizes

Special categories

SCAD Student Spirit Award – $3,000
SCAD Alumni Spirit Award – $3,000
Spring has sprung, and the SCAD Spirit Awards celebrate the creativity and pride of our community! This category honors artwork that brings Art the Bee to life, capturing the energy, innovation, and vibrancy of SCAD. Whether Art is buzzing through a bold new world or showcasing school spirit in a fresh way, this award recognizes pieces that embody the heart of the hive. 

Best in Show Award – $1,200                
The Best in Show Award will be chosen by a special guest SCAD alum or visiting artist.

SCAD ATL Student Award – $1,000
Contestants must be attending courses at the SCAD Atlanta location to qualify for this award. They must also compete for the general categories listed below. Note: The bus back to SCAD Atlanta departs at 4 p.m. Atlanta contestants will miss the awards ceremony, but certificates will be mailed to the winners.

SCAD Alumni Award – $1,000
To qualify for this award, contestants must be a SCAD graduate and must also compete in one of the general categories below.

General categories

Sand Sculpture
Winner – $1,000
Runner-up – $800

Sand Relief
Winner – $1,000
Runner-up – $800

Sandcastle
Winner – $1,000
Runner-up – $800

Air
Winner – $1,000
Runner-up – $800

Sand Jam (Drawing)
Winner – $400
ATL Sand Jam – $400
Alumni Sand Jam – $400

Note: Winners of special category awards are not eligible to win general category prizes.

For more information, contact professor Monica Cioppettini at [email protected].

View a full list of contest rules and eligibility

SCAD participant pre-check-in

Groups that would like to check-in early may do so Wednesday, April 29, and Thursday, April 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Wallin Hall's East Basement Computer Lab. At pre-check-in, groups will receive their space location, T-shirts, wristbands, and giveaways.

Registrants who have completed pre-check-in may go directly to their space number noted on their wristbands. These numbers will correspond to flags on South Beach after 9 a.m. the day of the event. Contestants who have not completed pre-check-in to receive their wristbands must check in at the South Beach pier the morning of the event.

SCAD student participant check-in

Check-in for all student contestants who have not done pre-check-in will be at the South Beach pavilion on Tybee Island the day of the event. Competing students must be checked in by 10 a.m.

Day-of registration

Students who have completed pre-check-in the day before at Wallin Hall should go directly to the beach and find the flag number corresponding to their wristband number.

Students who would like to register for the standby list the day of the event may do so at the South Beach pier. Students on the standby list are then eligible for any available or unclaimed spaces. Students arriving late may receive open spaces if available.

The event will officially start at 10 a.m., but students who arrive early may start their work on the beach once they have checked in at the South Beach pier and once the location flags are in place after 9 a.m.

Transportation

Transportation to Tybee Island will be offered to all registered contestants and students who would like to assure their place.

SCAD Savannah students
At registration, select your preferred pickup location: The Hive, Turner House, or Montgomery House. Buses will run in the morning every 15 minutes until 10:30 a.m., after which they will run every 10 minutes. Competing students who plan to use SCAD buses as transportation should board a bus between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. to arrive on time for the 10 a.m. check-in on Tybee Island. Non-competing students should consider catching a bus at 10 a.m. or later as they will not need to check in for the event.

Students who are not competing but who would like to ride the bus must also complete the trip and transportation liability waiver and the photo and video release form. After completing the waivers, students will receive an email verification for the completed waivers, which will serve as their pass to enter the bus. All students must show receipt of the waiver to enter buses bound for Tybee Island. Buses will be labeled "Sand Arts" on the route display. Return transportation will be available all day, and the final bus will leave Tybee Island at 6:30 p.m. Students who miss the final scheduled buses back to Savannah will be responsible for arranging and funding their own transportation.

SCAD Atlanta students
Students taking the bus from SCAD Atlanta must sign up for transportation and complete the transportation liability waiver and photo and video release form.

View SCAD bus schedule

For more information regarding check-in, email professor Kelly Latham at [email protected].

Driving directions

• Follow U.S. Highway 80 East (Victory Drive) to Tybee Island.
• Drive approximately 17 miles from East Victory Drive and Abercorn Street to the turn at Butler Avenue on Tybee Island and continue south.
• Park at either lot on the east end of 14th, 15th, and 16th streets. Overflow parking is available at the metered spaces located on Highway 80 (Butler Avenue) and on the adjoining side streets.
• Head for the 15th Street ramp to the beach once you have parked. The competition area is located between 14th Street and Atlantic Avenue, north of the pier.

Parking

For contestants
Students are strongly encouraged to use free SCAD buses or carpool due to limited parking on Tybee Island. You are required to pay for parking. Improper parking may result in your car being ticketed or towed.

For visitors
Visitors may use inexpensive, metered parking on Highway 80 (Butler Avenue). Side street parking is allowed only in metered areas. Contestants and spectators at the SCAD Sand Arts Festival should be always respectful of Tybee Island residents and their homes.

Guests are encouraged to plan their visit 1–4 p.m., which is the peak viewing time when all sand creations are fully completed and on display. Note that immediately following the awards ceremony at 4:30 p.m., all sand sculptures will be promptly leveled. In accordance with beach preservation guidelines and environmental stewardship practices, the festival is required to return the beach to its natural state at the conclusion of the event. We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to arrive early to experience the artwork at its fullest.

For more information, contact professor Monica Cioppettini at [email protected].