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

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." During the week I work as a computer systems analyst with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals supporting and implementing Enterprise Software from German Software Company SAP. I live in Wilmington Delaware, but for the past 30-plus years, I've spent summer weekends playing in the mid 80's in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. While I didn't place in that first competition, I continued to compete locally eventually winning the Rehoboth contest 9 times. In 2014 I ventured outside of Delaware and met master sculptor Matt Long at his pro-am contest in Wildwood Crest New Jersey and a quick friendship developed over a mutual love of building castles in sand. After years of trial and error sculpting, my castles became exponentially better now that I had someone to critique my work and show me new techniques. It was Matt who suggested that I enter the amateur contest at the Siesta Key Crystal Classic in Florida where I met Albert Lucio Jr who encouraged me to come to Texas to compete in the amateur contest at Texas SandFest. The vibe at SandFest was like nothing I had experienced before, and my sand life was changed forever when Albert invited me to compete as a semi-pro in 2021. Needless to say, the opportunity to meet and sculpt in the same gallery with Master Sculptors that I've admired from afar for years has been one of the highlights of my 30-plus years of sand play. I've created castles for numerous beach weddings and marriage proposals and lent my skills to several Delaware fundraisers and festivals including the Delaware State Fair, the Rehoboth Beach Sea Witch Festival, the Children's Beach House Annual BBQ, the Dewey Beach Summer Vibes Festival, the Bridgeville Apple-Scrapple Festival, the Dover Days Festival, Great Delaware Pumpkin Carve, Big Draw Art Festival and the annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics.

Jim Butler

Growing up in southern Califoria, many of my earliest memories are of days at the beach, making drip sandcastles and moats. I guess building things was in my veins because I'm now an architect and master sand sculptor. My significant sand creations started in 2005 when I participated in a local charity event in Olympia, Washington. I helped amateur teams plan and build competitive sculptures. That got me hooked on sand on a big scale. A good friend and I established our own master sand carving team, Form Finders. Ever since we've been competing on Pacific NW beaches for the past 16 years. Our team makes it a point to bring on new people who want to learn the art of sand and get better. There are always new techniques to learn and I enjoy pushing myself to try challenging subjects. I hope you enjoy all the sculptures on display! Love the sand between my toes which brings

Joelie Gagnon

Bio coming soon

Leonard Gonzales

It all started more than 30 years ago on Imperial Beach (IB) California. In the 80's, 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 "IB Posse" amateur sculpting team. Over the years, the Posse climbed to the top of the Masters competition. They claimed many championships and awards through the 90's and early 2000's. As competition formats changed, the team has had to adapt which now opened up to individual sculpting events. In 2021, Leonard and teammate Mark Durazo were featured in the inaugural season of CBC's Race Against the Tide television show. This is Leonard's fourth year at SandFest. So far, he has received a 2nd and two 3rd place awards in the Semi-Pro category. Maybe this will be the year for the elusive 1st Place award!

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 teenage, I started working with my dad in the construction business as a carpenter and I continue today working as a carpenter and running the business. After many years of playing in the sand, using my carpentry skills, talking with some of the Masters and watching how they work with the sand, my love for sand sculpting has grown! In November 2012, I entered my first competition where I placed 1st in the amateur division at the Fort Myers Beach American sand sculpting championship. I have several first and second-place finishes in the semi-pro division and I plan to keep honing my skills, learning and having fun playing in the sand!

Brendan Schaffer

Bio coming soon

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. Brown's art harmoniously blends his Southern roots with NYC's dynamic energy. As a principal ice sculptor at Oklahoma Studio, he has had the pleasure of carving in many of NYC's iconic landmarks and collaborating with artists internationally and across the USA for the past 16 years. His expertise also encompasses ephemeral works and experimental music, contributing to a unique artistic portfolio. Over the last decade, he has frequently collaborated with musicians to create album and video art and create sculptures as a live performance for music festivals. Key accomplishments include his participation in a televised sand sculpture contest on Canada's CBC Network "Race Against the Tide-Season 3" in 2022, leading to large-scale projects in the Netherlands and Quebec City's Ice Hotel. Brown, was also a 3-time competitor and 2-time winner on Food Network's "Iron Chef America", showcasing his artistic prowess alonside culinary legends Morimoto and Bobby Flay. His favorite episode is the "Eggnog Challenge" from 2009. In 2020, Brown began making miniature sculptures from the seeds of avocados...mostly portraits of folks' beloved pets. This has since expanded into architectural wood carving. His latest work of animal heads will be permanently displayed at the Frank Thomas Restaurant in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. for inquiries and more information, contact Thomas Brown at ThomasBrownAffair@gmail.com and explore his art on Instagram @thomasbrownaffair

Resa Wohirabe

Bio coming soon