The 6th Annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic

The sixth annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic master sand sculpting competition comes to Siesta Beach once a year and draws some of the best sculptors in the world.  

What's the secret? Easy. It's the sand. In addition to water, it's the basic ingredient to this art form. And not only does Siesta Key have it in abundance, it's got the good stuff.

"I travelled from competition to competition around the world and finally realized, wait, our sand here is perfect!" says Brian Wigelsworth founder of the Siesta Key Crystal Classic. "Most events, even if they are on the beach, have to ship sand in from quarries because their sand has too many rocks and shells. Ours is perfect at 99 percent pure quartz." 

In 2010, Wigelsworth got together with the Siesta Key and the Greater Sarasota Chambers of Commerce, the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau, Sarasota Parks and Recreation, and Mote Marine to found the first ever Siesta Key Classic Master Sand Sculpting competition.

Now in it's sixth year, the event has become a Sarasota favorite. Long-time volunteer Joye Argo has been there since day one.

"I was fascinated with the idea that this beautiful artwork was just going to go away when the event was over." That year, as a videographer, she documented the process and produced a film chronicling sculptures from beginning to end.  "When I first started," says Argo, "I had no idea there were people doing this full time, travelling the world.  Many of them are on the road all year long, changing their mediums with the season—from sand, to ice, to pumpkins. The artists are just amazing!"

Event details

Twelve teams of two, comprised of some of the best sculptors in the world hailing from countries like Russia, Canada, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Czech Republic, and the U.S.A., will be competing over a 24-hour sculpting period spanning five days. The result will be a transformed landscape of temporary masterpieces—some over ten feet tall. 

To take a break from their intense sculpting schedule, the artists will participate in Quick Sand Competitions. As Argo explains, they are a crowd favorite. "The quicksand event pulls an artist out of a full day of sculpting for a brief, almost comedic relief.  It's great, I love it!"

Additional details

For those wanting to learn the secrets of the trade, there are sand sculpting demonstrations to help you unlock the granular magic behind billions of tiny, sharp edged grains stuck together by bridges of water. You may even want to sign up for the amateur sand-sculpting contest after viewing one of these. For those with less ambitious motivations, there is a vendor village of over 60 merchants, loads of live entertainment, and a party tent.

The 6th Annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic will be held from November 13th through the 17th.  For more information, log on to www.SiestaKeyCrystalClassic.com.