Spa Resort Casino sand sculpture

Bring the Beach to Palm Springs

Sandscapes' sculpture remains from Spa Resort Casino's special event (as long as rain stays away)

JIM POWERS Attractions, Watch & Listen - Attractions

Spa Resort Casino sand sculpture
The artwork of Sandscapes remains for people to see at the Spa Resort Casino's South parking lot near Indian Canyon Drive and Andreas Road.

A bit of the beach experience remains at the Spa Resort Casino’s south parking lot in Palm Springs for potentially the duration of the summer.

The sand sculpture courtesy of Sandscapes was created for the casino’s Sandsational Summer outdoor festival on July 2.

The triple-digit heat may make desert dwellers scamper for shade, but it has no impact on the sand sculpture. The only nemesis appears to be rain, which based on the current drought conditions may never fall and ensure the sculpture’s longevity.

“The way we compact the sand, it’s fairly durable,” says Sandscapes co-owner Greg Glenn. “It’s more durable than going to the beach and packing it by hand. We’re using machinery, and form work, and doing it in horizontal layers just like Mother Earth does.”

Greg and his wife Brandi took nearly four days to complete the sculpture. Sandscapes has been creating works of art out of sand since the late 1980s when the phenomena became an actual way to make a living. They hold 12 separate World Sand Sculpting Championship titles.

The Palm Springs piece pays tribute to the city’s long-standing relationship with Hollywood stars, specifically Marilyn Monroe, who has been absent from the Palm Springs landscape since her 26-foot statue was taken down and carted east for an exhibition.

— Photos and Video by Jim Powers

VIDEO: Watch how the finished product comes together in Palm Springs.