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OF TIME AND TRANSFORMATION Fine Print took second-place honors during the 2012 Crystal Classic. Photo by Peter Acker/courtesy the Crystal Classic SAND SCULPTING COMPETITION HAS BECOME A CLASSIC IN ITS OWN RIGHT ON SIESTA KEY By Harriet Cuthbert Contributing Writer Editor's note: Harriet Cuthbert volunteered again this year to assist with the Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Com- petition. This is her report on a week at the beach with world-renowned artists. It is four days before the Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Competition begins, and the sand piles are already rising up. Untouched by human hands that will trans- form them into masterworks of fine art, these innocuous little hills sit there calmly, await- ing their new identities. And we are eagerly awaiting the third annual competition, which is sponsored jointly by Mote Marine Laborato- ry and the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, with the proceeds going to the very important sea turtle research and conservation programs at Mote. Master sculptors have come from all over the world to compete for a first prize of $5,000. In the space of four days, they will take their as- signed spots, along with their sand allotments, and make magic. Using only sand, water and various tools, they are truly amazing to watch, these artists who craft something out of nothing.