A professional sand sculpture team called Team Sandtastic built an 80-ton “Wildlife & the Arts” exhibition sculpture at the Manatee Public Beach on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida, in celebration of Keep Manatee Beautiful’s SandBlast 2016.

SandBlast 2016 is a sand sculpture competition that pairs amateur teams with local business sponsors to raise funds in support of Keep Manatee Beautiful’s programs and events, which improves people’s quality of life in Manatee County.  

SandBlast also celebrates America Recycles Day, the only nationally-recognized day (on and in the weeks leading to Nov. 15) dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products, so as to create a better natural environment.

A professional sand sculpture team called Team Sandtastic started two days before the event by building an 80-ton “Wildlife & the Arts” exhibition sculpture at Manatee Public Beach on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida.  

Teams and the public were invited to the free clinics put on there by Team Sandtastic on Nov. 17-18 at sunset to learn the tips, tricks and techniques of sand sculpting, as well as to the sand-sculpting competition on Nov. 19.

On the amateur competition day, 12 teams competed at the Manatee Public Beach. Sculpting commenced at 9:00 a.m. and continued until 1:00 p.m.  Judging the sculptures of each theme followed, with the judges including Master Sculptor Mark Mason of Team Sandtastic.  First-place and runner-up awards were made of out 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.

Team awards were as follows:   

Elementary – Middle School Division

Wildlife Category

First Place
Team – Oasis Middle School
Sponsor – Mosaic
Sculpture Name – Pretty Wildlife
 
Runner-up
Team – YMCA
Sponsor – Ad-VANCE Talent Solutions
Sculpture Name – Shark Attack
 
High School – Adult Division

Free-Form Category

First Place
Team – Manatee School for the Arts Team 1
Sponsor – Waste Connections
Sculpture Name – Unity
 
Runner-up
Team – Inspiration Academy
Sponsors – Dignity Memorial
Sculpture Name – Inspiration, Dignity & Freedom

High School – Adult Division

Wildlife Category

First Place
Team – Bradenton Christian High School Art Dept.
Sponsor – Linger Longer
Sculpture Name – Bee With Us Forever

Runner-up
Team – Manatee Technical College
Sponsor – Innovate Florida
Sculpture Name – Toothless