We recently attended an event at 8 Reale in Orange Beach, where Patron revealed a new tequila. As part of the festivities, the Patron logo was perfectly sculpted in sand. As guests arrived, the sculptor, Janel Hawkins, was adding the finishing touches to the work of art and it got my attention.

Who hasn’t built a sand castle when visiting the beach at some point in their life? Well, Janel has taken the construction of sand castles to an elevated level, creating fun events for all manner of occasions. Sand Castle University, based in Gulf Shores, offers private classes and custom sculptures that will decoratively enhance any celebration. 

I visited with Janel to learn more about sculpting with sand. She is an artist at heart but has an equal measure of entrepreneurship. A long-term resident of Gulf Shores, she tells me her family moved away from farm country in Peoria, Illinois because her mother had an allergic reaction to pesticides. 

“After undergoing all sorts of medical testing, an old country doctor suggested my mother’s symptoms were similar to the actions soldiers had from Agent Orange in Vietnam. He told us that the family needed to move somewhere where there was more airflow, so my dad traveled to several places, landed in Gulf Breeze, and called to say ‘I think this is going to work.”

Starting in Pensacola, the family moved to Ft. Morgan because of the Baldwin County School system, and Janel graduated early from Foley High School. She says she has always been an outside person and hated being under a roof. “I lived in the water and on the beach. I built many a fort out of driftwood, but had never built a sand castle.”

One day, Janel saw a sand castle memorial and was intrigued. Although she had no formal art education, she says her mother, an artist, exposed her to art as a child, and she felt that this was a medium she could embrace. 

At 14, she began working at Crazy Bean, a coffee shop in Gulf Shores. At 16, she worked at Publix after school. “Working for a corporation like Publix gave me a sense of structure and  time management and it forced me to be with people I would not have otherwise encountered.”

Janel’s dad was career Navy and was often deployed, so every year when he was stateside, he and Janel would take an annual trip. Janel was responsible for all the planning and budget management, and bonding with her Dad was the happy outcome.  She graduated from Foley High School a year early in 2011 and walked with her graduating class in 2012. 

“I had seen most of the U.S., visiting 46 states with my dad, and wanted to experience more. Travel gave me the freedom to figure out what I like.” In the meantime, Janel took some online classes studying psychology and business.

One year, in 2012, Janel and her dad took their annual trip to San Diego. “We took the train from New Orleans to San Diego and stayed at Hotel del Coronado. The property is located near a huge Navy base, and the California beach was where I saw my first professional sandcastle. It was an eye-opening experience.”

After the trip, she saw an ad on Craig’s list for a sandcastle sculptor, “No experience necessary,” in Destin, Florida. She applied and was selected from several applicants to be an apprentice, matched, and trained by a professional sand sculptor. “I moved to Destin and spent three years learning how to build sand castles. I’d never taken an art class before, so I am self-taught. While there, I learned both the business side and the art of sand sculpting.”

After three years and only 21 years old, Janel found herself in a managerial role and immersed in a bit of a power struggle. In the same week in December 2016, she blew it all up, quitting her job, cutting her lease, leaving a relationship, dropping out of college, and moving back home to Gulf Shores. A month later, in January 2017, she incorporated Sand Castle University.

Now a professional sand sculptor, Janel set about building her business. Her first big opportunity was to build a sand sculpture for the NCAA. She was commissioned to create sculptures at the NCAA Women’s Beach Volleyball National Championship in Gulf Shores. She has sculpted at Hangout Fest in 2023 and 2024.  Now, she has a staff of seven seasonal workers from March through October. In the off-season, she teaches private sculpting classes and creates sculptures for events herself. Her list of clients is growing with lots of repeat business.

Bridesmaid trips and weddings are big events for her, and proposals on the beach are especially popular. “It is all orchestrated. The groom books a reservation at a restaurant on the beach, and I build whatever sculpture he has in mind for the occasion. When the couple arrives a few minutes early, the maître d' suggests they take a walk on the beach while their table is being prepared. He surprises her with the sand sculpture and he pops the question. It’s the memory of a lifetime and so much fun!”

Corporate retreats with  team-building activities are also popular.“We call it the Sand Castle Showdown. We can have up to 40 people split into teams that compete for points. The team competition is in four parts; how to build a sand sculpture, a demonstration that I do with a lot of information (and a pop quiz), then the teams design and sculpt their idea, followed by photos and awards. The winners receive a custom trophy that I design”

“Each part has challenges (“wrenches”) that I design specifically for each member to demonstrate strengths and weaknesses, and how to work together as a team. It’s not about the prettiest castle, but who best plays the game.”

Because Janel’s medium is temporary, she custom videos each sculpture for a lasting memory. She does her own videos on social media which are shared on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Tik Tok. Sand Castle University now has almost 2 million followers. “Kids see the videos and take them to their parents to show something they want to do on vacation.

Netflix hired her to do a sculpture for the SpongeBob: The Sandy Cheeks movie. “Netflix recently made a video of me making a video.” She tells me that this visual interest has led to a lot of questions. “I like to learn, but I’m a teacher at heart. I was never a good student, but I just had the wrong subject. The beach is my classroom. Sometimes I teach on the beach, and sometimes the beach teaches me. You have to build flexibility. You never know when a storm will pop up, the beach is always changing.”

She tells me she is a first-generation Southerner because she was raised by a bunch of Yankees. “We’ve adapted well,” she says. “We are all here for the same reason, we love the beach!” As a self-described “dune girl,” Janel enjoys the peacefulness the beach provides when she is sculpting. “People ask me why I work in a temporary medium. I like the fact that it’s extremely delicate, it’s ephemeral with the sound of the waves in the background. It’s my happy place.”

Sand Castle University is a full-service operation. “You don’t have to do a thing. Just show up.” Classes are all private, and Janel can bring all the materials to you, including the sand. “We want to provide an experience that nurtures, where you can build relationships and have fun.”

The staff at Sand Castle University goes through intense training each year to stay at the top of their game. “We only have one shot to do what we do. We try to have a balance of maintaining enough structure to provide a quality experience while being flexible enough to change that product as needed. It’s the same medium, but completely curated to each client and the environment. Not being rigid allows us to be the best we can at that moment..”

In 2020, Covid was Janel’s big break. Because sandcastle building was one of the few activities that individuals and families could participate in together, people wanted private, small-group activities that were held outdoors. Janel taught five classes per day for 32 days straight days from mid-June through mid-July. 

As a young professional artist, she prefers to work with like-minded individuals. A one-hour class for up to 5 individuals is $200. Custom sand sculptures take 5 to 8 hours to construct and run for about $500, depending on the level of complexity and time. Sand Castle University does about 40 events per year and many more private classes that are available year-round.

Janel’s favorite project? “Definitely proposals. These are memories that last a lifetime.” The good thing is, that long after the sculpture has washed away, Janel^’s video will keep the memories alive forever.

Her favorite mode of transportation is a Harley-Davidson 883 Iron Sportster. She spent many summers at a camp at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and has great memories. “It played a big role in my appreciation of this Scenic 98 Coastal area.” 

She is also a music aficionado. She recently bought the house she picked out when she was 16 from her dad. He still travels much of the time but comes “home” when in town. You can tell they have a special bond, and they still do their annual trip every year.

It was delightful to get to know Janel. I can think of many Sand Castle University programs that would be big fun with friends and family. I’m pretty sure mine would be the best. Look for the video soon!

(See more incredible work here.)