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Semi-Pro Sculptors

These artists’ journey has not just begun, but their skills continue to strengthen with each carving of a sandcastle they create and each competition in which they spend time building out an artistry of sand. You won’t want to miss watching these semi-pro artists transform into excellence right before your eyes with unbelievable talent create sand sculptures worth remembering.  

Darrell O'Connor

“When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever.  In its place is something you have left behind. Let it be something good.” During the week I am a computer systems analyst working with large corporations that use Enterprise Software from German Software…

A middle-aged man in a baseball cap, a long-sleeve white shirt, and dark sunglasses leans over in front of a sand sculpture and smiles at the camera.

Jim Butler

For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed building sandcastles. I grew up in Southern California and some of my earliest memories are of being at the beach and playing in the sand. Fast forward to 2005 when I got involved with sand carving, helping teams at an event…

A man bends over a large sand sculpture of a fish with a paintbrush. He is wearing a bucket hat and focuses on his work.

Joon Park

oon Park was born in 1997 and started helping carry buckets at the beach at contests back when he was 17 during the year 2015-2019. Over the next few years, Joon started sculpting and started doing it every day at the start of 2019 till this day. He has made…

Selfie of a young man in a teal shirt and a camo bucket hat smiling down at the camera

Leonard Gonzales

It all started more than 30 years ago in Imperial Beach (“IB”) California. In the 1980s IB was home to the US Open Sandcastle Competition, one of the largest events in the Country for decades. In grade school at the time Leonard’s family and friends created the…

A man in a yellow long sleeve shirt kneels down next to a sand sculpture depicting a man's face and hand coming up out of the ground, rocking out on a guitar

Marc Mangia

I was born and raised, and live in Columbus, OH.  At a young age, I started working with my hands assembling and taking apart anything and everything. As a teenager, I started working with my dad in the construction business as a Carpenter and I continue today working as a…

A tanned older man with white hair smiles at the camera. He's outside in front of some greenery and he's wearing a stars and stripes tank top

Mitch Guerrero

Mitch is going on his 9th year as a sand sculptor and his 6th year as a Pro-am sculptor.  This will be his third season at his favorite contest ever - The Texas Sandfest! Mitch has decided to take his passion for art and sand sculpting and make it his full-time career in…

Black and white headshot of a bearded man in a baseball cap soft smiling at the camera.

Thomas Brown

Thomas Brown, born in 1976 in Muscle Shoals, AL, and hailing from Louisville, KY, is a versatile mixed-media artist. Transitioning from clay, stone, wood, and metal sculptures, he entered the realm of ice sculptures when he embraced the vibrant chaos of New York City in 2008…

A bald, bearded man with blue eyes looks over his shoulder and smiles at the camera. This is a close up of his shoulders up. he's wearing a coral-colored shirt

Thomas Earing

Usually found in a tree Thomas Earing can occasionally be found carving wood and ice. Now adding sand to his repertoire as a repeat attendee of Texas Sandfest. With a passion for making cool stuff and hard work, he looks forward to providing an appealing production on the…

Selfie of a young, bearded man with long brown hair soft smiling at the camera. There is fluorescent lighting overhead. He is wearing a brown jacket.