Sand art festival starts in SLO County. See muralists transform the beach
A popular San Luis Obispo County beach typically covered with clams, seaweed and seagulls is in the process of being transformed into a series of massive murals.
Nine artists from around the globe are converting large stretches of sand at low tide into striking, geometric masterpieces at the first-ever Pismo Beach Sand Art Festival.
The free event, which began Thursday, Nov. 6, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 8, lets beachgoers experience open-air, ocean-inspired art as they walk on the Pismo Beach Pier or tread along the sand.
The sand art event “highlights the beauty of impermanence as each large-scale creation is washed away by the tide, offering visitors a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse at ocean artistry,” organizers said in a news release.
Event organizer Emma Rhoads said the event is happening at the same time as king tides are descending on county beaches.
Exceptionally low tides will create “a really long, large, clean canvas for this style of art,” she told The Tribune.
Here’s how to catch sight of the large-scale sand art creations at Pismo Beach:
Artists create sand murals at Pismo Beach
On Thursday afternoon, nine internationally acclaimed sand muralists split up to tackle their own wide section of sands on the Pismo Beach shoreline.
Avery Kintner of San Luis Obispo spent four hours on the beach below SeaCrest OceanFront Hotel pushing a tiny rake, a stick and a rope through a large patch of sand. He moved in circles and squiggles, slowly forming a natural landscape composed of rolling hills and a full moon rising.
Kintner said the ephemeral aspect of sand art, which he’s been practicing for nearly a decade, has helped him heal and learn how to let go.
“It’s kind of an emotional release,” he said. “If the tide is going to come and take it away, it’s going to come and take it away. I’ve learned to have that acceptance with the flow of life and the flow of the tides.”
Each of the muralists will create a new masterpiece each afternoon of the event before the ocean eventually sweeps the designs into the surf, Rhoads said.
Environmental artist Zach Pine will also provide free beginner-friendly workshops on how to form globes made of sand.
Married couple Steve and Tanya Schoenheide of Nipomo said they planned a weekend-long staycation in Pismo Beach to experience the sand art festival first-hand.
During golden hour on Thursday, the Schoenheides sat on a bench overlooking the beach, taking it an epic series of zigzags etched into a massive circle on the sand. Moments before, a woman in a wedding dress posed in the center of the artwork.
The couple said they were shocked by what an artist was able to create in just a matter of hours.
“I can tell he’s passionate,” Tanya Schoenheide said. “And very driven,” her husband chimed in.
How to see murals on SLO County coast
You can watch artists transform sand into elaborate art designs from 2 p.m. to sunset — around 5 p.m. — on Friday and Saturday.
The large-scale murals are spread out along Pismo Beach with artwork split into three zones on the sandy strip.
According to event organizers, visitors can observe the seaside art exhibits by walking along the beach between the zones, taking heed to not destroy the sand-etched illustrations.
However, Rhoads recommended getting above the beach to get the full “wow factor” of the sand art.
Where are best places to view art? Hotels, pier
Here’s where and how to view the three art zones from above:
- Zone 1 (northern Pismo Beach): View from SeaCrest OceanFront Hotel’s northern and southern steps and the hotel’s rooftop
- Zone 2 (central Pismo Beach): Observe from Wilmar Avenue steps, Cypress Street or dine at Vista Steak and Seafood
- Zone 3 (Pismo Beach Pier): See art from the pier or at the Inn at the Pier Pismo Beach rooftop
This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 12:55 PM.
