Photography by (clockwise from top left) Trent Strohm, Jane Henriques, Christina Gordon, and Branca Nitzsche
GLOBAL GOODNESS: (Clockwise from top left) An enormous, illuminated, ice sculpture at the Harbin Ice and Snow
Festival in China; Fandango by Jane Henriques from Impress in England; a customized cutie from the Blythe Beauty Contest
in Tokyo; cupcake cars lined up at Maker Faire in California.
JUNE
Blythe Beauty Contest, Tokyo
Revamped and restyled, doe-eyed dolls compete
in categories like “Natural Beauty” and “Special
Beauty” before a panel of live judges. The owners
of the crowned winners have their original designs
remade into actual Blythe dolls and dress sets.
craftzine.com/go/blythecontest
JULY
Sand Sculpture Festival, Belgium
Artists sculpt stunningly realistic architectural
works, automobiles, and personal images from
frame-supported sand heaps. Past works have
included a five-story, walk-through castle, complete
with a climbable corner tower, hand-formed by 60
artists with 20,000 tons of sand.
zandsculptuur.com
Oerol Festival, Netherlands
Terschelling Island becomes a ten-day stage for
transforming boathouses, army bunkers, and
streets into makeshift visual and performing art
venues. Last year, visitors were treated to the vision
of 250 steel silhouettes slowly migrating across
a beach. oerol.nl
The Crucible Fire Arts Festival, Oakland, Calif.
An annual open-air exhibit of more than 50
fiery installations, such as the 40-foot, modular
Steampunk Treehouse in 2008. Expect to feel
the flames! thecrucible.org/fireartsfestival
