Sand sculptures no mere child's play

A team from the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at LSI won second place in a sand sculpture fundraising competition for Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City in Shawnee, Kan.

The theme of the entry from Juniper Gardens was “Read*Talk*Play*Grow.” It featured sculptures of a child, alphabet blocks and a Jayhawk.  While building sand statues may sound simple, Mary Abbott, associate research professor, said the process was so exacting that each of the 10 teams was paired with an architect for the May 20 competition.

Architect Scott Branton of JÜNK Architects helped the Juniper Gardens sand sculptors put together plans that would employ five cubic yards of sand compressed by plywood forms. “You have to have exactly the correct sand and water mixture,” Abbott said. “It’s a scientific process and we’re scientists so it worked well for us.”

The Juniper Gardens team practiced four times before the actual event and then had six hours to complete the final versions. The JGCP entry won second place in the overall competition and another second prize in a people’s choice division. Branton took first place in a category that recognized participating architects.

The team represented a wide variety of Juniper Gardens staff, including scientists and office personnel, with contributions provided by additional JGCP staffers. Abbott put together the team, which raised $2500 for Wonderscope.  Abbott is a member of the museum’s board.