At today’s live art contest, one noted cinematographer, two noted artists, one noted chef, one noted designer, and one noted arts manager are judging the art. They are doing this on the beach, with their feet in the sand, inspecting pieces composed of the very same stuff, because they are judging sandcastles. Sandcastles! Why use judges of this caliber instead of the ones typically adjudicating sand works, i.e., parents and passersby? “Because this is San Francisco” is a decent answer, and obviously true, but there is more: Architects are involved in Leap’s 28th Annual Sandcastle Contest, along with engineers, contractors, and designers. Thank God, there are also hundreds of local school kids participating, otherwise it would just be crazy. Perhaps judges such as artists Sirron Norris and Ian Huebert, or the S.F. Arts Commission’s Tyra Fennell, can properly contextualize the giant sand caterpillar (if some team makes one, but how could some team not make one?) within the giant sand caterpillar tradition. Certainly judge Grant Washburn knows about sand and its castles, as a Mavericks surfer, filmmaker, and father. And judge Elizabeth Faulkner, as owner of Citizen Cake, knows about cake. Those kids would love cake after a hard day at the beach, Elizabeth.
Sat., Oct. 8, 10 a.m., 2011
415-561-4323
