Bermuda Beach Art Festival Set For March 19
The fifth annual Bermuda Beach Art Festival is set to begin on Saturday, March 19, offering an eco-art competition designed for participants of any age, “in celebration of Bermuda’s most beautiful, natural resource, her beaches.”
The event, which is sponsored by CHUBB and FIL, will be preceded by workshops on March 12 and March 15 at Horseshoe Bay Beach, with the competition offering $1,000 in cash prizes.
A spokesperson said, “Beach Art is a process of drawing patterns and images in the sand between the high and low tide marks, with nothing more than an ordinary gardening rake, to create beautiful works of art. Beach Art presents a moment in time, captured with the camera, before the tide rises and washes it all away.
“The community are urged to see these amazing creations on beaches island-wide on Saturday, March 19th, at low tide, 1:00 pm. Spectators can determine which beaches will feature Beach Art on March 19th. for viewing by visiting our website and selecting ‘Entries’ after the entries close on March 17th.
“Better yet, sign up and participate in an activity that is both relaxing and fun for adults, teens or the whole family. “Sign up is free and easy; simply choose your beach and sign up online.
“Two workshops are offered before the event and are also free; there, you’ll learn key tips and tricks to give you a competitive edge. $1,000 in cash prizes are up for grabs in four categories, Adult, Family, Teen and Best Overall, to be presented during a special prize presentation at the Sea Breeze Terrace, Cafe Lido, on the Elbow Beach.
“Free Yoga classes are also being offered on both Horseshoe Bay Beach and Elbow Beach between 11am and noon on the day.
“If you want more helpful tips and ideas, plan to attend our workshops hosted by the organisers and previous prize winners. They will be happy to share with you the things that worked best for them and answer all the questions you may have. Workshops will be held on March 12th from 10am to 1pm and on March 15th from 5pm to 6.30pm, both at Horseshoe Bay Beach.
“The first step is to scout a location with a high vantage point, such as a cliff or rocky coast line to be able to take that perfect picture of your art. Once you have your location then you can begin to plan your design with the camera angle in mind.
“Then hurry to our website, to enter your preferred location and secure your spot for the big day. You must register by March 17th. Entry is free.”
“The only tool needed is a stiff prong gardening rake from any local hardware store. The yellow headed kids rakes are preferred as they allow the option of smaller lines and are also handy to carry on a bike! Springy “Leaf” rakes are a fun extra but not recommended for beginners as they do not create deep enough lines in the sand.
“The next most important step is to check the tide times. Beach Art works best between the High and Low tide marks. Sand in this area is wet and compact so when you rake you get the most contrast, each line is clearly defined and you are less likely to see footprints.
“If you try to rake above the high tide mark where the sand is dry and powdery you will not get the definition needed for a winning photo. You will want to start working one or two hours BEFORE low tide to give yourself ample time to create the masterpiece you want.
“Set yourself a timer to make sure you get the perfect shot just before the tide turns. You may have to re-rake some spots as rogue waves sneak in. It is also a good idea to check your progress as you go. Things look very different on the beach compared to up high and on an angle.
“Frequent spot checks keep images in proportion and remind you to go big. It will also show you lines that need to be deeper with more texture or softer for a shaded look.
“Once you have created your masterpiece take a million pictures from lots of different angles and vantage points. Weather permitting, see the differences in shading between direct sun and cloud cover. Make sure to get a few pictures of you working on it, as well as photos with and without people to show the scale of your work clearly.
“Video of your creation is a welcome addition for posting on our Facebook page after the event if you have a friend to film while you work.
“Photos at the beach can be difficult since you can’t see what you’re doing. If you fall short of being a professional photographer, be sure to save a little time to edit your photos once your eyes have adjusted from the bright light at the beach. Sometimes the lighting in a photo doesn’t do a work of art justice. Be sure not to over do it and keep it looking natural.
“Finally, go to the website and upload your single best photo before 2:30pm for judging. Photos must be JPGs and no larger than three megabytes in file size. All participants from around the island will then meet at 6pm at the Sea Breeze Terrace at Café Lido for the results and a prize presentation.
“Join us for drinks and tapas and share your favourite parts of the day. With your participation we can plan to make each Beach Art Festival bigger and better than the last. We look forward to seeing you there.”
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Congratulations on integrating our beautiful beaches with the creative resources on our island. I am amazed at how many talented artists we have that care deeply about our Bermuda.
This is a wonderful way to show off our beaches and I hope the BTA is fully behind this event as we promote the benefits of our beautiful beaches.
I understand the BTA is promoting a series of beach initiatives that will soon be public – identifying how we will develop some specific beaches and leave others as is.
Looking forward to how this eco-friendly art project augments these BTA beach planning initiatives in Bermuda.