By Jane Bartnett
The 2025 Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sandsculpting Festival will be on display Nov. 14-17 in Siesta Beach.
Visitors will walk through a magical sculpture garden of large sand designs created from the white crystal sands of Siesta Beach and see 24 international sand sculptors at work. The artists will have traveled to Siesta Key from various parts of the United States and Europe. Award winners will be announced on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 16. The festival will close on Monday, Nov. 17. Some 70 vendors will also be on hand. A food court and beer tent will be open daily and live bands will perform play.
The stories that these talented artists bring to their work is as fascinating as their brilliant sand sculptures.
Dean Arscott won first place in the 2024 solo competition and the Sculptor’s Choice Award, solo division. The St. Petersburg, FL resident sculpts professionally for Sarasota based Team Sandtastic. https://sandtastic.com/
Joaquin Cortez and doubles partner Craig Mutch took first place in doubles competition at the 2024 Crystal Classic. Cortez is based in North Texas. @eventssculptures.
Matthew and Ian Deibert are father and son New Jersey natives who took third place in the 2024 Crystal Classic doubles competition. They are also champions of the Travel Channel’s Sand Wars show. sandcreation.com
Karen Fralich brings five world title championships and 30 first place titles to the Crystal Classic. Specializing in whimsical and fantasy themed sculptures, she organizes sand sculpting events throughout Canada. @KarenFralich.
Isabelle Gasse is an award-winning international artist in the professional snow and ice sculpting world. The Quebec native has appeared at sand sculpting events across North America and Europe. @Isabelle.gasse.
John Gowdy was an artist in the first Crystal Classic in 2010. At Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, he created a sand tribute to Pope Francis and for The White House Commission of Remembrance, a sculpture honoring the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy. @John.gowdy1.
Paul and Remy Hoggard’s sand sculptures have won personal praise from Queen Elizabeth at Britain’s Chelsea Flower show and at England’s Royal Cornwall Show. Paul hales from England and Remy from the Netherlands. Based in Bulgaria, the married duo own Sandartist Ltd. sandartist.com
Karlis Ile is a gold medal winning sculptor. Working in snow, ice and sand, he has won competitions in Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Japan, his native Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States. @karlis_ile.
Carl Jara won the Crystal Classic People’s Choice Award, Solo Category in 2023. Jara is the exhibits creator for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. ArtCleveland.com
Dimitry Klimenko is a leading international sand artist. He has presented around the world. Sand is his medium, but he also sculpts in ice, snow, bronze, wood, and even pumpkins! klimenkoart.com.
Marie Line-Gagne, a native of Quebec, works with natural materials and sculpts in wood, ice, snow and sand. @gagnemarieline.
Craig Mutch won first place at the 2024 Crystal Classic in Doubles competition with Joaquin Cortez. Vancouver based Mutch is an artist and sculptor in the film industry. craigmutchcreations.com
Matt Long is a cast member on the Travel Channel show’s Sand Masters. He has placed in four world championship competitions and appeared in Thailand, New Zealand and New York City. sandsculptor.com
Ron MacDonald is a former Crystal Classic honoree and an original Crystal Classic artist. He was a Disney show production artist for 32 years.
Sanita Ravina is an award-winning Latvian artist who sculpts in sand, snow and ice. She has appeared at international ice sculpting festivals for more than 10 years. @sanita. ravina.
Joon Park has thousands of Instagram followers. The San Diego native has carved sand sculptures for Amazon, Google, Taylor Swift and the Royal Family in Dubai. @JPSandman_inc.
Ferenc Monostori – The Budapest native designs large scale public works and stone sculptures. He competed in the largest sand sculpture festival in Europe in Søndervig, Netherlands. @ferenc_monostori
Bruce Peck is a Master Level sculptor who enjoyed a 30-year career as a CPA before a sand sculpting competition on Siesta Key launched his new profession. facebook.com/bruceqpeck/
Agnese Rudzite-Kirillova won third place at the 2024 Crystal Classic, solo category. Her themes are women’s emotions and nature. She works in ice, snow, wood, bronze, stone and sand. @agneserudziteart
Wilfred Stijger and Edith Van De Wetering were the 2024 Sculptors Choice doubles award medalists and 2024 second place doubles winners. Netherlands is home to the married couple who compete around the world. Stijgerart.nl/wilfred-stijger-sculpture/sand-sculpture/ and (@edith_van_de_wetering)
Attilio (Steve) Topazio specializes in custom sand sculptures for festivals, corporate events and weddings. The Rhode Island native owns Sandtasia Sand Sculptors of the Ocean State. facebook.com/SandtasiaSandsculptors/
Brian Wigglesworth is the founding artist of the Siesta Key Crystal Classic. He and
Andy Daily, artist and sand manager for this year’s Crystal Classic, won the 2023 People’s Choice Award. The pair create sand creations for corporate and private affairs through their Sarasota based company, The SandVenture Crew. sandventurecrew.com
The 2025 Crystal Classic
The Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sandsculpting Festival is a presentation of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Siesta Key Scholarship Fund for Ringling College of Art & Design. Buy tickets online at: siestakeycrystalclassic.com
