Disappearing Art Highlights Treasure Island Sand Sculpture & Venice Chalk Art Festivals

Mother Nature – The Master of Disappearing Art

Almost every night, as the golden orb sinks into the sea, local residents join visitors who have traveled across the continent or around the world to gather on the warm white sand to bask in nature’s beauty for a few minutes.

They say “Oooo” and “Ahhhh”. They applaud and they ring the sunset bell. They revel in the pastel after glows that slowly drift off into darkness. Some lucky ones had escaped the 90-degee-highs to visit places way above sea level, where trees burst into amazing vibrant colors before all the leaves fall off.

It seems like a terrible shame, each time darkness overtakes one of the sunsets that made St. Pete Beach the Sunset Capital of Florida. Still it actually feels like the brevity of our exposure to the art form makes it all the more rare and consequently more valuable.

It felt that way during totality of the solar eclipse on August 21st in Kearney, Nebraska too. It was a long way to travel to watch the sun eclipse for just a couple of minutes, but the uniqueness of the moment made a very lasting impression.

Just before it got dark, the “sunset” was amazing, not just in the west, like we are used to, but all around us.

Some of our friends make a kind of custom or ritual out of their observations of these natural phenomena. They photograph the sunset, hoping to catch the elusive green flash on film. They seek out displays of the northern lights, standing outside late at night in very cold weather hoping to be able to say they’ve witnessed it personally.

While Mother Nature is undoubtedly the master of disappearing art, some of the world’s finest artists working in mediums that have very short tenure are gathering in our area, as they do each year at this time to show their skill.

An hour and a half to the south of us artists spend many hours applying chalk to airport runways to produce colorful art with amazing 3-D perspectives.

In Treasure Island, some of the world’s most talented sculptors form beach sand into epic pieces of art that last no longer than Nature allows.

If you go, be warned, visits to these festivals of disappearing art can be addictive. It’s not like a visit to a museum where you will likely see much of the same on each visit. This kind of art is for art lovers who are easily bored.

Words by Peter Roos

The Gulf Beaches are host to many festivals during the year, but disappearing art is the focus of two of the most noted international events.

Treasure Island will host the 9th annual Sanding Ovations Masters Cup Sand Sculpture Competition and Music Festival, November 15-19, on the beach behind the Bilmar Beach Resort. The 10th annual International Chalk Festival will be located at the Venice Airport Fairgrounds on the island of Venice, November 10-13.

Both events have interesting history attached to their origins and current success.

While the event was started by founder and CEO Denise Koval in November 2007 in Sarasota’s Burns Square, moving to the Venice Airport grounds in 2014, its origins go back to Italy during the 16th century. These Italian artists called “madonnari,” went into remission after World War II until the 1970’s when the few remaining madonnari got the recognition they deserved with the start of the International Madonnari Festival in Grazie di Curtatone in Northern Italy. In the USA, Robert Guillemin, known as “Sidewalk Sam”, became inspired by the Italians and took to the pavement in Massachusetts during the 1970’s. He remained passionate about the art form until his death in 2015. In the 1980’s, another American artist, Kurt Wenner, while trying to make a living studying classical drawing in Italy, became the first American madonnari. He went on to invent the 3D pavement art, documented by the National Geographic Society in 1985. He started the first festival in the U.S. and along with the festival in Italy, was instrumental in transforming the art into a worldwide phenomenon.

Denise, President of the Burns Square Property Owners Association in 2007, told Paradise News, “At that time the Children’s Chalk Playground, run by artist Jill Hoffman-Kowal, was the most popular area. The first festival welcomed 22 artists and attracted 5,000 visitors to the area over two days. Of the 22 artists, only three had street-painting experience: Lori Escalara, our featured artists from California, Kitty Dyble-Thompson, and Mike Kasun. They were all instrumental in the progress and development of the festival, with both Lori and Kitty participating since inception.” She continues, “We don’t have a competition due to renowned participating artists that participate. Included have been Kurt Wenner, 3D pavement art form inventor who gets up to $50,000 an event; Leon Keer from the Netherlands, known for his 2011 Lego Army installation and recent $150,000 competition winner; Tomo Saito from Japan, winner of a recent $50,000 competition; and our local artist Truman Adams who won $5,000 recently in Dubai.

“As a 501(c)(3) charity, we raise money for flights, housing, food, art & installation supplies and materials, insurances, and all the costs that go into producing the Chalk Festival. The event is ticketed and takes place at the Venice Airport Fairgrounds, a location that is beautiful and lots of space for the artists to be creative.”

Features at this year’s Evanescent-themed event include a Museum exhibition displaying artifacts and memories of the past 10 years of Festival success, with augmented reality displays available via

cellphones. Local and regional bands playing Nov. 10 & 11 include BC & the Gang, David Smash, Lenny Long Band, Sound Sisters, Rockadials, Hatley Band, Shore Dogs, Crystal Eyes and Toast. Seven local food vendors, sweets, beverages, and spirits will be open for business all hours of the festival.

The Festival, a 501(c)(3) charity, is completely run by volunteers. In addition to Denise, other key Festival Chairs and Captains include Carol Caryl, Captain, Staff Care; Kenyon Kowal, Chair, Website & Branding; Austin Kowal, Chair, Screen Printing; Lori Escalara, Technical Consultant; Glen Caristinos, Mark Donnelly, Richard Carter and Mike Pachota, Logistics; Carol Felton, Captain, and Doug Henry, Co-Captain, Accountability Support; Pam Garlock, Captain, Merchandise; Linda Gesek, Storytelling Docent; Christine Hanrahan, Captain, Social Media; Annete Heaney, Artist Lodging;  Suzanne Pardo, Captain of Captains; Manuel Lopez, Captain, Pavement Music Festival; Kathleen Provost and  Sandra Vecchione, Captain, Beverage; Greg Schwartz, Admission/Entrance; Sue Schwartz, Greeters; Ziao Ping Zhang, Captain, Chinese Artists; Russ Bullis, Ticket Sales; Joan Lucyk, Captain,  Artists Assistants/Runners; Mary Conway, Vendor Captain; Laura Hester, Captain of Volunteers; Kay Ann Kropac, Food Vendors; Sandra Dee Phillips, Captain, Sustenance, Cheryl and Wayne Renshaw, Captain, Survey; Janet Tombros, Museum; and Tonya Youngberg; Captain, Artists.

Admission to the Festival ranges from $5 to $15 a day, with all-event tickets at $25, student discounts and children 12 and under free. For tickets and other information, go online to www.chalkfestival.org, call the office at 941.488.8877 or stop by 200 Base Avenue East in Venice.

Treasure Island ‘Sanding Ovations’

“Our sand sculpture events started in 2008,” co-founder Meredith Corson Doubleday told Paradise News. She and husband Dan are local World Champion sand sculptors who travel the world and meet some of the best sand sculptors in their journeys.

Meredith continued, “Treasure Island Recreation Director Cathy Hayduke and I had been looking for a sponsor for years to put this event on. We had just about given up hope when Anheuser Busch (Great Bay Distributing) contacted Cathy in 2007 with an offer to sponsor any type of beach event to promote their Landshark beer. 

“Of course, Cathy called Dan and I, and the rest is history. We teamed up with our worldwide sand sculptor contacts, and Cathy, who has put on hundreds of events during her years with the city, and the Festival was a hit from the start.”

Since then, Anheuser Busch has been the main Gold sponsor, with The Bilmar Beach Resort and Sloppy Joes as Silver sponsors. In addition to Cathy, Meredith and Dan, the 2017 Committee includes Clyde Smith, Bilmar Beach Resort, Roger Jones, Sloppy Joes; Justin Tramble, Treasure Island Assistant Recreation Director; Vito Musante, Vendor Coordinator; and Jeff Jenson, City of Treasure Island, Media and Music.The top three sculptures and a “people’s choice” sculpture will be awarded over $14,000 cash prizes. Sand sculptors at Sanding Ovations come from throughout the world, representing countries such as Ireland, The Netherlands, Singapore, Russia, Lithuania, Canada and the United States.Last year’s prize winners shared $12,000, topped by 1st Place to Jobi Bouchard of Canada for “Biological Link’; 2nd place to Dmitrii Klimenko of Russia for “My Changing Woman”; with 3rd place and People’s Choice awards to Andrius Petkus of Lithuania for “Forbidden Love”.

The masterful exhibition of sand sculpting talent at the world-class level is the big appeal, supplemented by the giant sponsor sculpture created by Meredith and Dan. The beach food court, an arts and crafts marketplace, and three days of live music make Sanding Ovations a must-see event while visiting Treasure Island.

Produced by the City of Treasure Island Parks & Recreation Department, Sanding Ovations is free and open to the public. For event schedules, sand sculptor bio’s  and other Sanding Ovations info, visit  www.mytreasureisland.com or call T.I. Parks & Recreation at 727-547-4575 ext. 237.

Article by Steve Traiman

[Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Cathy Hayduke & Justin Tramble, City of Treasure Island; Meredith Corson Doubleday; Denise Koval and Suzy Pardo, Venice Chalk Art Festival.]

[Steve Traiman is President of Creative Copy by Steve Traiman in St. Pete Beach, offering freelance business writing services. He can be reached via email at traimancreativecopy@gmail.com]