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Miami Beach 2/8/04
- Maybe you saw the Miami Beach Ocean Drive 15 foot
 high
sandcastle on "Good Morning America" or "America's Most Wanted,” or part of a
Marlin's football game coverage? The intricate, creative, labor intensive,
creation of Victor Leong is now gone. Gone like some of the old previously
leveled art deco hotels.
This writer
interviewed both the artist, Leong and his friend and manager Johnny Starman the
other day. Leong was obviously distraught with the demolition of his work.
Imagine how
a painting artist would feel if he discovered that, his canvas work was torn or
damaged beyond repair? On the other hand, how a stain glass window artist would
feel if someone tossed a brick through his or her work?
Leong has
been building the sandcastles in South Beach for over 11 years. Depending on the
sand mixture, the weather, or vandalism, his creations would last many months to
only a few weeks. Most times, they averaged 3 months.
This artist
told City Debate that in starting a construction, he would scan the beach in
search of the right sand. He then would with a 5 gallon bucket collect the sand
and carry it to his building site. In most cases, this would take the entire
first day. That done, he would put 80 or so hours into each construction.
Some castles
were simple (to him simple) builds. Yet others would have Tiki-torched oil
lights hidden in the massing, so the castle could glow at night. Just the
average daily cost of the lighting ran as much as $60.00. To fund this cost
Leong would place a Tip Jug next to the castle and viewers would graciously
deposit a thank-you in the jug.
Leong, of
Cuban-Chinese descent, 29 yrs. old West Kendal resident,
 would
spend a few hours a day taking buses, riding to & from South Beach. Each day he
needed to touch up and repair the castles as Mother Nature eroded the sand
structures.
Victor loved
the attention, the comments, seeing the children's' eyes (and adults eyes)
widen, as countless passerby has gazed on his creations. Yes, he looked for tips
to fund his overhead, not unlike a sidewalk artist in France might sit on a
stool painting a canvas. In Europe it is traditional for strollers to admire the
work in progress and donate a buck or two for the artist to be able to continue
to live, eat and create.
Nevertheless, this past January 2004, to Leong's surprise, a City approved
bulldozer leveled his last creation. Not only was it leveled before stunned
tourists, but also he was forbidden by the Miami Beach police, to re-start
another.
The reason
given was that after Leong went home to West Kendal, the homeless would watch
his castle - no guard his castle. Some were their own entrepreneurs and one in
particular told tourist he was the creator and would
 aggressively
ask for donations. Everyone knows that Miami Beach has countless panhandlers
and beggars. To this, the City Commission even enacted an ordinance establishing
a lottery program restricting the "street people" to certain areas. They could
submit their name in the lottery and with luck could get a 3-month permit.
One such
person who did not have a permit was arrested for playing his guitar. Not taking
the arrest on the chin, his case went to court. The judge ruled that his act was
protected under the constitution and the City was violating his and others
rights. This ended the permit program.
Even though
panhandling is protected, aggressive panhandling is not. It is the old story;
"Your rights end where my rights begin.”
Now since the
castle could not be put on a bus each day and brought home by Leong, others
would and did misuse his mysterious and wondrous work after he went home. It is
a tragedy that the old saying is still true; one bad apple can rotten the whole
barrel.
This writer
continued with an interview with Leong and discovered he has
 many
talents. Not only does he have the gift to build wondrous sand sculptures but
dabbles in the old art of unusual Chinese kit building and as well builds boats
and ships from scraps of coffee stirrers or snips of modeling wood. He not only
builds boats in miniature but also some are so large they bend the cradle stand
they sit on. He also has mastered the craft of building boats in narrow neck
bottles.
Leong has a
friend/representative who responds to the many job calls from Bahamas hotels,
other Florida cities who want him to be at their events. He most times
graciously accepts the invitations and wow is the event-goers or the hotel
guests.
Asked why he
doesn't just say good-by to Miami Beach Leong responded, "I love Miami Beach,
the people, the sand, the smiles, the number of viewers. Unlike the short time
out of town events, "I can expand on my creations and build them larger and more
ornate.”
I thumbed through
a small photo album and was amazed to see the creative works. When this writer
came to Miami Beach, I too enjoyed building in the sand. I even prided myself on
the results of my daylong efforts. However, as I scanned the photo's I was
humbled. Not unlike a child who finger-paints, looking at a Picasso. The detail,
the imagination, the skill involved was eye riveting.
To the City
administration; can anything be done to carve out a tiny section of our
sprawling beach, so this artist and his work can continue to Wow! Tourist? You
feature his castles on the banner of the City web site. The Mayor
 even
has an event section on his City web page, pride-fully standing in front of
Leong's creations. Mayor Dermer even proclaimed a day for him (See
Proclamation click here).
This guy is not a
common street panhandler. His is an artist, strangely unique - yes, but still a
gifted artist. If the City can post his work on the City web site, beckoning
tourists, then can't the same City find a way to continue his displays?
As well, perhaps
one of our readers could find a way to legitimize his work and beach space. If a
for-profit commercial vender can put up beach chairs and umbrellas on the beach
sand, permitted by a contract, why not give a measly 15x15 square foot space,
roped off, for Leong? Is their anyway Leong, an artist, can achieve a small
grant from the misspent tourist tax millions, so he need not put out a tip jug?
The wonder
of South Beach draws tourists. It is not just water, sun and sand, but a whole
host of attractions. Who hasn't gone to Key West and enjoyed watching the
performers at “Mallory Square” while awaiting a sunset? If the major networks
can film his creations for the nation to view, aren't we just pushing the
strictness envelope a little too hard?
In conclusion I
asked, "Why not contact the ACLU and challenge the City.” He replied, "I love
Miami Beach, I don't want to cause it any harm"!
Please visit (www.miamibeachsandcastle.com)
Victor Leong
(305) 595-4564 |
