Revere Beach sand sculptures are a shore thing

REVERE – Every year, the Revere Beach Partnership – a nonprofit organization – organizes its annual Sand Sculpting Festival on the sands of America?s first public beach.This year, the festival is projected to host its biggest crowd yet – 750,000 people. Beachgoers from all around travel to Revere Beach Boulevard for a weekend of activities, events, food, carnival games and the crowd favorite, sand sculptures.Rosette Cataldo, the president of the Revere Beach Partnership, is helped along by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the city of Revere. The most notable feature of the festival is the sand sculptures. And this year, the beach is hosting sculptors from eight different countries. New this year is the addition of teams of two, who will work alongside solo artists to compete for best sculpture.?This really is the jewel in the crown of our beautiful beach,” Cataldo said. “I think it highlights not only the beach?s beauty but showcases the community as well.?It?s become such a big event,” she said. “We?re in our 12th year and the festival is still growing. People from all over come here to experience the weekend and see the sculptures.”Meredith Corson and Dan Doubleday of Sanding Ovations in Florida have more than 40 years of experience in sand sculpting. Both Corson and Doubleday are award-winning sculptors and dedicate their time to perfecting their craft. When asked about the process of building, Corson explained that it is quite the endeavor.?We have 450 tons of sand dropped here from a grave,” Corson said. “People always ask if there is anything extra in the sand, and there isn?t. It?s just sand. The sculptors use water that is tapped in through hoses and they have, over the course of four days, 30 hours to complete their pieces.”Every artist is given the same amount of sand. Solos get 12 tons and the duos get 18 to 20.Designs are left entirely up to the artist and in their time frame, they have to be methodical in order to accomplish their vision. When finished, the sculptures are left to the elements, often standing for the public to enjoy well into the next week.?I think that the sculptors? favorite part of this event is listening to the interpretations that the people give on their pieces,” Corson said. “Initially, each artist has an image and they sculpt it. But along the way, they hear what people think of their work and more importantly what they see in it. It?s really a very cool experience.”Among themselves, the sculptors choose a winner and then leave it up to the people to choose one as well. The weekend is capped off with a display of more than 4,000 fireworks.