Castles in the Sand

Sand work can be the private endeavor of a lone artist, but it’s a unique medium in that it also lends itself well to participatory art. Nora Winge, who owns Willows and Dunes Family Childcare, has participated with a team of parents and family members for the past five or six years as an alternative to the standard school family picnic. Her students, who range in age from 1 to 5, usually play on the beach nearby, while parents, family members and the pre-school staff make the sculpture. “We’ve gotten an award every year,” she says.

There are a variety of styles from which to choose. Xande favors an architectural style, but as she said, the sand at Manila is not ideal for tall buildings. A more organic, flowing style is probably better there. There’s the found-object style in which you incorporate bits of beach debris in your work, or you can go purist and keep it all sand. Xande believes that the best sculptures tell a story, but I would argue that an abstract piece with a focus on design works just as well.

Did I mention that this is all in support of a good cause, a benefit for the Bay to Dunes School Education Program, where kids learn about dune ecology? There’s really no reason not to come and discover your own inner sand artist. Scrounge around in your kitchen for some old utensils that show good carving potential and come on down with your buckets. For details and inspiration go to the Friends website, www.friendsofthedunes.org, and click on the “I dig sand” logo. I’m sold on it. I’m going to be there with my 4-year-old and maybe a couple other mom-and-kid pairs. It should be interesting to see what we come up with. Hope to see you there.

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