Visit Escanaba, the convention and visitors bureau for Delta County, has once again hired the artists of Art Club Hub — more commonly referred to as Art Club — who are turning the lakeshore into an outdoor studio and giving beachgoers another chance to watch three massive sculptures emerge from the sand.

Art Club, based in Birch Run, Michigan, was founded by John Martinez and is described as a network that connects multiple professional artists to work on large-scale projects together. Each artist has their own solo studio, operation or career.

The artists working at the Gladstone Beach this year include Martinez; Billy Budd, a painter and sculptor; Sean Gallagher, a high school art teacher; and Mark Mishler, an artist who currently resides in Rapid River and is a longtime friend of Martinez.

Martinez’s wife, Melanie, serves as the group’s event coordinator and will occasionally participate in the carving process, as well.

Sean Gallagher, a high school art teacher and artist, can be seen carving part of what will turn out to be a giant Bigfoot sand sculpture at the Gladstone Beach. (Courtesy photo)

Martinez said the group has long-standing ties to the area, noting their repeated work with the Upper Peninsula State Fair Authority.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Martinez said. “Any chance we get to bid on a job here, we’re going to try to make it.”

The group of friends in Art Club initially met when they worked on carving snow sculptures years ago, and over time, they began to experiment with different mediums.

“Somewhere along the line, somebody said, ‘Let’s try something different,'” Martinez said. “You know, we’re good friends, and we only seen each other in the wintertime, so we said, ‘Let’s try some sand. Let’s get a dump load of sand at somebody’s house.’ We went, and we played. That led to some competition, and eventually, we just started doing it for money.”

While the Bigfoot sculptures have become iconic in Delta County, Art Club’s work extends far beyond the shoreline, ranging from pontoon boats and astronauts to cartoon characters and business logos. Martinez and Budd are even scheduled to travel to Miami soon for a project with Gatorade.

Artists in the Art Club group are carving three giant Bigfoot sand sculptures at the Gladstone Beach. In the front is Melanie Martinez, then from left to right: John Martinez, Billy Budd, Sean Gallagher and Mark Mishler. (Courtesy photo)

Martinez said Delta County has become something of a signature location for their Bigfoot installations, and last year’s response exceeded expectations.

“We don’t just do Bigfoot anywhere else,” John said. “It was fun for us. We don’t usually get that kind of response.”

Visit Escanaba CEO Robert Micheau reflected on that reception and the decision to bring the project back.

“The response to the sand sculptures last year was overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “We heard from both visitors and local residents who enjoyed watching the artists at work and seeing the finished sculptures become a popular stop along the shoreline. Because of that enthusiasm, it was an easy decision to bring Art Club Hub back again this year.”

Micheau added that this year’s project builds on that success while keeping the experience exciting for visitors.

This lounging Bigfoot from 2025 on the Gladstone Beach was carved by the Art Club, a group of artists primarily based in Birch Run, Michigan. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

“When it came to this year’s theme, we trusted the artists’ creative vision,” Micheau said. “The Bigfoot sculptures were a huge hit last year, and together we felt there was an opportunity to build on that success with an expanded theme that would be fun, engaging and memorable for visitors of all ages. Gladstone Beach provides a wonderful setting for an installation like this, and we’re excited to see people gathering throughout the week to enjoy the artistry, the waterfront, and everything the area has to offer.”

Last year, Martinez explained how the Bigfoot concept was chosen.

“We needed to find — we call it a mascot, some kind of character that kind of best represents the area,” he said at the time. “We looked at bears, we looked at moose, we looked at other animals that are frequent up here. And then somebody read an article about a Bigfoot sighting in the area.”

The group has nine days scheduled for this year’s project on Gladstone Beach — three days per sculpture — though they budgeted time to account for weather delays. Martinez said the sculptures are covered during heavy rain showers.

Micheau added, “One of the things we appreciate most about this project is how it helps showcase the incredible beaches and waterfront that make Delta County such a special place to visit. The sculptures create a unique reason for people to spend time along the shore, while also encouraging them to explore and enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Michigan and the Bays de Noc.”

To learn more about Art Club, visit https://www.artclubhub.com/. More information about the sculptures can be read at Visit Escanaba’s website, https://visitescanaba.com/sand-sculptures.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.