PORT ANGELES — Seven artists will begin transforming mounds of sand into works of art today at Hollywood Beach for this weekend’s Arts in Action waterfront festival.
But not every part of the festival will take place as advertised for the annual event.
Artist Ian Morris of Victoria will begin creating a 3-D anamorphic image of an orca leaping from water today at The Landing mall rather than at the nearby Gateway transit center, said Doc Reiss, event organizer.
Also, a car show of vintage emergency vehicles won’t be able to make it, he said.
‘Always snafus’
But the festival, put on by Nor’wester Rotary Club and held this Friday through Sunday, will still have its main event — the North American Masters Invitational Sand Sculpture Contest — live music, street vendors and artisans, food, the 3-D display and a car show put on by the Olympic Peninsula Region Porsche Club of America.
“There’s always snafus,” Reiss said.
The 3-D display won’t be at The Gateway because the Wednesday Port Angeles Farmers Market has booked the location.
Reiss said he was told by the city that he could use it prior to the Wednesday farmers market taking up residence there last month.
But he didn’t try to officially reserve it until last week.
Reiss said the 3-D display, which makes the subject appear to jump out of the floor, will be created at the first floor of The Landing.
This year’s theme is “Wonders of the World.”
Although the sand sculptors will begin working today, the public won’t be able to walk up to them until Friday.
“It’s just like having a big party at your house,” Reiss said.
“You don’t want people showing up when you are still trying to get the place vacuumed.”
But one sand sculpture can be viewed at the Winderemere Real Estate office, 711 E. Front St.
This week, artists Charlie Beaulieu and Greg Jacklin have been sculpting one of the Egyptian pyramids.
But this is more than just a 3-D triangle made out of sand. It looks just like a pyramid that has gone through thousands of years of erosion.
“First you have to make it perfect, and then you have to distress it so it looks aged,” Reiss said.
“That’s the challenge with that one.”
The sand sculpture contest uses about 75 tons of special “sticky” sand, Reiss said, some of which was trucked in Tuesday.
With the help of RJ Services, Reiss said the event has been able to save money on the delivery of the sand this year.
The company, which is trucking the sand, stored about 37 tons of sand from last year’s competition at its Port Angeles location, he said.
The rest of the sand comes from Silverdale.
Lower gas prices this year also decreased the cost of trucking the sand from $3,600 to $1,000, Reiss said.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
