Everyone is invited to celebrate the first Bermuda Winter Beach Art Festival on Saturday, March 24. The event will include numerous activities such as beach art, yoga, kite-surfing and paddleboard demonstrations, and a children’s Playmobile contest.Members of the public are urged to come out and enjoy on of Bermuda’s most beautiful assets, the beach. Why just go to the beach during the summer, the organisers ask, when you can use it all year round?The event organiser is architect Nicky Gurret, who has a passion for art. She was inspired by beach art when someone brought home a newspaper from England that described the Beach Art Jersey World Championship 2011 held on the island of Jersey near England.“It drew thousands of spectators and was featured in newspapers all over England. I thought Bermuda is an island just like Jersey with beautiful sand. We could do something like this in Bermuda. There are no dyes involved. You just rake the sand into different patterns. Then the tide washes it away,” explained Ms Gurret.It has been about three months since Mrs Gurret fell in love with beach art. Now she has created events to share her love with Bermuda. Mrs Gurret’s reason for introducing beach art to Bermuda is because she feels that we should use Bermuda’s most beautiful asset, the beach, all year round and not just in the summer.A student who attendeed on of Mrs Gurret’s beach art workshops for tips and tenchinques in January,said: “I fell in love with it. We had to use rakes and drag them against the sand in any design we wanted. The group in total created many pieces such as flowers, hearts, abstracts, circles, and I drew a sun! Afterwards we climbed up on a rock and viewed our masterpieces and were amazed at the outcome.“The pieces looked and stood out when viewed from a distance. But, they had to be big enough. I soon became addicted and drew more things. Beach art also provides tranquility, the sound of the ocean in my ear and my mind at peace gave me a time to relax. I really do love Beach Art!”The Bermuda Winter Beach Art Festival competition will be from 12.30 to 3.30pm at numerous beaches from St Catherine’s Beach to Somerset Long Bay! Artists of all skills are invited to participate adorning as many of Bermuda’s beautiful beaches as possible with beach art, creations that only last until the next high tide washes them away.The highlight of the festival will be the beach art contest where artists are to create a phenomenal beach art creation and take a photo of it. Artists will be assigned to a beach when they register. Photos are to be submitted no later than 6pm, and the artwork will be judged by Lynne Matcham.The entry is free! To become a participant contact Nicky Gurret at gurret[AT]northrock.bm. The deadline for all entries is March 2. There will be workshops offering tips and techniques on beach art at Horseshoe Bay on Sunday, March 4 from 11am to 12noon. There will also be an opportunity to sign up for the contest at the workshop.The festival itself will be featuring the World Beach Art Champion, Frenchman Sam Dougados. He will be holding free demonstrations at Horseshoe Bay on March 21, 22, and 23.The yoga will be from 3.30 to 4.30pm at Elbow Beach, John Smith’s Bay, Horseshoe Bay, St Catherine’s Beach, and Somerset Long Bay. For more information please contact Elaine White at 505-9642 or e.vaniwhite[AT]gmail.com .The kite-surfing and paddleboard demonstrations will be from 3.00 to 5.30pm at Horseshoe Bay and Somerset Long Bay. For more information please contact Glenn Mello at 526-2222 or glenn[AT]mello.cc.The children’s PlayMobile contest will be held from 2.00 to 3.30pm for children aged 12 and under. The activity will be to create a “4 x 4” scene at Horseshoe Bay, and for more information please contact Priscillia Robineau at priscillia.robineau[AT]yahoo.com.On Sunday, March 25 at Horseshoe Bay from noon to 2pm an awards ceremony will be held for the beach art contestants, where everyone can have a picnic, supplying their food.Beach Art has affected many Bermudians greatly by providing a relaxing and creative hobby. Hopefully the events will allow many more Bermudians to appreciate such a beautiful passion as this and to be more involved in winter beach activities.