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THE ART OF JOHN GOWDY
John Gowdy is a world-class artist specializing in professional sand sculpture displays of all kinds. He has teamed up with his beautiful and talented wife, Laura Cimador, to form a unique sand sculpture company known as, Sand Sculptures by John Gowdy & Co. (SSJG).
"We are based in southern New Jersey and travel the world through our art" "If you can dream it, we can make it in sand" |
We have been sculpting sand internationally for more than 30 years for such clients as:
Our work includes:
Always pleasing our clients.
Our sand displays are media magnets.
You can find our displays at locations such as:
- Pope Francis in the Vatican
- The White House Commission of Remembrance on Normandy Beach, France
- Good Morning America
- Marriott Hotels
- The Travel Channel
- Martha Stewart Show
- The Bachelorette Show
Our work includes:
- Corporate logos
- Team building
- Sand sculpting lessons
- Beach themed weddings and proposals
- Unique sand displays of all kinds
Always pleasing our clients.
Our sand displays are media magnets.
You can find our displays at locations such as:
- Five star hotel lobbies
- Convention centers
- Festivals
- Restaurants
- State fairs
- Shopping malls
- and yes, we still work on beaches around the world!
John also sculpts in marble, paints with both oils and pastels, and performs a live painting show known as "FLYING COLORS".
How did you ever get started in such a
unique occupation?
Sand has been in my blood since my earliest memory of my mom taking me to the Atlantic City beach and plopping me down with bucket and plastic shovel in hand. Little did I know that this strange warm soft material sticking to my skin, would become my life's ambition in later years.
During seven years working as a beach lifeguard on the same beaches, I noticed your everyday sandcastles built by "down for the dayers". I often looked at their creations but never dreamed what would happen next.
A fulltime job in The Atlantic City Fire Department, fatherhood, and three children followed. The year was 1986 and I was now taking my three children, Kelli, Jennifer, and little John John to that same beach my mother had taken me to as a child. It is here where I plopped my kids in the sand. Since they were too young to bath in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, I brought a shovel and dug holes that filled with ground water and made a nice safe bathing tub for the three of them. What happens when you dig a hole, a pile of sand appears by accident. In this pile of beach sand we began to sculpt castles and other creations with found popsicle sticks and pieces of shells for tools.
A fulltime job in The Atlantic City Fire Department, fatherhood, and three children followed. The year was 1986 and I was now taking my three children, Kelli, Jennifer, and little John John to that same beach my mother had taken me to as a child. It is here where I plopped my kids in the sand. Since they were too young to bath in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, I brought a shovel and dug holes that filled with ground water and made a nice safe bathing tub for the three of them. What happens when you dig a hole, a pile of sand appears by accident. In this pile of beach sand we began to sculpt castles and other creations with found popsicle sticks and pieces of shells for tools.
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As our new team, now known as “The Rowdy Gowdy’s”, worked on our creations in sand, crowds would gather around us. Some would join in on the fun. But most importantly, I had discovered a performance art which was enjoyed by all ages. |
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We entered many local sand contests in the family category and did well. A marketing person in one of these crowds suggested I enter a solo professional contest in Fort Myers Florida called The American Sand Sculpting Championship. So, I drove south with my shovel as my only tool and met many “master” sand sculptors there. They took sculpting sand to another level. I tied for third place there in my first master competition. This had awoken a unique mixture of art and physical competition inside of me and I loved it!
I have since won The American Championship six times along with many national and international first place awards around the world. Yes, this is truly an international art form and my vocation after retirement. Sand is everywhere on our beautiful planet. There are friendly talented people sculpting it on every continent around the world. I am fortunate to be one of them.
I have since won The American Championship six times along with many national and international first place awards around the world. Yes, this is truly an international art form and my vocation after retirement. Sand is everywhere on our beautiful planet. There are friendly talented people sculpting it on every continent around the world. I am fortunate to be one of them.