Santa Cruz-based Jim Denevan is a surfer, chef, and celebrated land artist. He is known particularly for his monumental, temporary drawings on beaches throughout the world. Using sticks and rakes, he waits for low tide and then covers an entire beach in graceful circles, spirals, and other geometric designs. Denevan has appeared in television features on CBS, PBS, Bloomberg television, the National Geographic channel, and ARD German Television. Films about his work include Thread and Jim’s Lines, two films by Patrick Trefz, and Sandman, a documentary by Chesley Chen. Exhibitions in which Denevan has participated include National and International Projects at MoMA PS1 and the Vancouver Biennale. His work has been the subject of articles in Art LTD, Wired UK, GQ magazine, and the New York Times, among others. In March 2010 Denevan was commissioned by the Anthropologist to create an enormous sand drawing on Lake Baikal, the world’s biggest single artwork. In addition to his artistic endeavors, Denevan is the founder of Outstanding in the Field, a traveling outdoor dinner series.

On November 9, 2013, Jim Denevan’s monumental sand drawings on Main Beach were the centerpiece of Laguna Art Museum’s first Art & Nature. Large geometric pattern of circles and spirals were illuminated with approximately 2,500 solar lanterns at sunset.