Every now and then as I scroll through social media, a timelapse video appears in my feed. My eyes are glued to the screen as people dart around at 10x speed, hefting materials and wielding tools and briefly standing back to check their progress. What was once ordinary is sculpted, shaped, and smoothed into something magnificent in under a minute. Though the logical side of my brain knows this endeavor took much longer, I’m also amazed at the magic and wonder of this something-from-nothing art that’s constructed in only a few moments of my own time.
In search of a better understanding and even greater appreciation of this beautiful art form, I took a deep dive into some of the most popular methods for creating temporary art and compiled a list of places to visit to see the processes in person.
Chalk Art
This may be the most popular temporary art form, whether you scribbled on the driveway as a kid, wrote fun quotes for school events, or watched as those with a little more artistic talent than you created masterpieces on pavement. Though most people call it chalk art, it’s also referred to as pavement art or street art. When choosing this medium, many artists use sidewalk chalk or pastels.
There are two perspectives to consider in creating a piece: anamorphic and nonanamorphic. Most people are familiar with nonanamorphic, where chalk work can be viewed from any point of view and look relatively the same. But the anamorphic perspective is utilized to create an illusionary 3D piece, where the art seems to come to life when viewed from a specific vantage point.
If you want to watch professionals do it live, here are some places to visit:
- Chalktoberfest—Marietta, Georgia, United States; October 2025
- International Street Art Festival—Wilhelmshaven, Germany; August 2025
- Luna Park Chalk Art Festival—San Jose, California, United States; September 2025
- World Street Painting—Arnhem, Netherlands; year-round events and exhibitions
- Zion Chalk and Earth Fest—Springdale, Utah, United States; April 2025
Sand Art
The reason sand sticks together when wet is because of surface tension. This surface tension creates cohesion and structure—a science many artists have perfected. The recommended ratio is about 8 parts sand to 1 part water, which should then be firmly packed to reinforce cohesion. Artists then use tools such as shovels, buckets, and carving utensils to create their art, though some use only their hands.
There are also artists who, instead of carving from sand, drip very wet sand to create their pieces. Using a bucket, artists will mix sand and water into a slurry-like consistency. Then, a handful at a time, they will drip or pour the mixture into tall, mesmerizing structures.
If you want to watch professionals do it live, here are some places to visit:
- Australian Sand Sculpting Championships—Frankston Waterfront, Victoria, Australia; April 2025
- Blue Water SandFest—Port Huron, Michigan; August 2025
- FIESA Sand City—Lagoa-Algarve, Portugal; year-round events and exhibitions
- Mysore Sand Sculpture Museum—Mysore, Karnataka, India; year-round events and exhibitions
- Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival—Siesta Key Beach, Florida, United States; November 2025
Snow Art
Though snow sculptures can be any size, they often start out as densely packed blocks of snow about 6–15 feet per side and weighing as much as 20–30 tons. That’s a lot of snow! Some artists collect that snow after a snowfall, but many use artificially produced snow.
With such big blocks of snow, sculpting (especially at competitions) is completed by teams of artists rather than one single person. The tools used vary from artist to artist. Some commonly used tools are shovels, pickle forks, saws, and varying homemade tools.
Ice Art
Typically, artists use ice blocks made with clean, purified water. But the appearance of the ice depends on how it was frozen. Naturally frozen ice tends to have a cloudy appearance from small, trapped air molecules, while mechanically frozen ice produces clear ice. Though many artists prefer clear ice, some artists go for cloudy or even colored ice as they sculpt their masterpieces.
A variety of tools can be used when sculpting ice, from chainsaws and die grinders to chisels and hand saws. Some artists will even use heat or distilled water after sculpting to enhance a clear finish.
Snow and Ice Art Live
As I did my research, I found that quite a few of the snow and ice festivals overlap. So, I combined them into the same list. Here a few places to watch professionals do it live:
- Harbin Ice Festival—Harbin, China; December 2025–February 2026
- Ice Alaska—Fairbanks, Alaska, United States; February–March 2026
- International Snow Sculpture Championships—Breckenridge, Colorado, United States; January 2026
- Sapporo Snow Festival—Sapporo, Japan; February 2026
- Snowkings’ Winter Festival—Yellowknife, North Territories, Canada; March 2026
Some Final Brushstrokes
I was right in assuming that there was more to temporary art than what I initially observed in those timelapse videos. Yet, I found even more than I could synthesize into this article. The more I learned about temporary art, the more enthralling and awe-inspiring the art form became. And I can’t wait to watch the process in person for myself!