Sean had experimented with many different mediums
through his life time. It wasn't until his oldest child was three years old that he discovered sculpting as a means of
expressing his artistic vision. At the request of his daughter he set off on a mission to create a snow sculpture with one condition,
that it resemble Santa Claus. After several hours in the cold New England snow, Sean called upon his daughter for the final approval.
After hearing her praise and seeing the look on her face, he was hooked. Over the next several years he continued to experiment
with this very unstable medium. He would spend hours in the snow creating detailed sculptures that caught the attention of local newspapers
and television stations. Neighbors would stop by after a winter storm in anticipation of his next creation.
During the summer
months, Sean began to experiment with sand sculptures at the beach. Before long, crowds would gather around by the hundreds just
to watch him carve. He began to enter several local sand sculpting contests such as Crane Beach in Ipswich, MA and York
Beach in Maine where he captured several top awards. Then in 2000 he heard of a professional sand sculpting contest that was to be
held in New Hampshire at Hampton Beach. Sean packed up his car and the whole family and headed off to see this spectacular event first
hand. It was at Hampton Beach, after meeting some of the most talented full time professional sand sculptors in the world that he
first had the idea of forming a professional sculpting company.. On returning home he put together a business plan and began
the process of starting what is now Fitzy Snowman Sculpting. He spent the next several years working at the Hampton Beach event ,
further refining his talents.
Many questions were raised during those early years as to how a business based around creating
temporary sculptures could possibly be successful. Sean persevered and ignored the negative comments of his critics. He realized
several key points that his critics had overlooked such as the fact that he was able to attract large crowds and media attention
where ever he performed. With the constant support of his family, Sean began spreading the news of his new business, first to
the corporate market , then to local communities.
The corporate market was first to respond. With ever changing markets companies
were struggling to stand out in the crowd. Sand sculpting was a very unique idea that had been experimented in other parts of
the country as a marketing tool to attract consumer interest with tremendous success. Comcast was one of the first companies to
take the leap of faith Fitzy Snowman Sculpting and today continues to be one of our major clients.
Local communities have also
taken notice. Master sand sculpting competitions had been growing in popularity steadily over the previous 20 years. Revere, MA was
one of the first communities to seek out our services. In 2004 Fitzy Snowman Sculpting created a 10 ton massive sand sculpture
for "Celebrate Revere Day". The sculpture was a huge success and paved the way for the New England Sand Sculpting Festival the
following year. Sean continues to organize the master sand sculpting competition. Sean has seen this event grow from its meager beginnings to a
world class international event that now attracts a record quarter of a million spectators each year. The New England Sand Sculpting
Festival has also been featured on national and international media outlets around the globe and continues to be a tremendous source
of cultural and economic growth for the surrounding communities. Other communities are also jumping on board and we now have three
new pilot sand sculpting festivals planned for 2008 in communities all over New England. Check back for more information on these new events coming soon.
Since those humble early years, Fitzy Snowman
sculpting has enjoyed tremendous growth and is now a full time operation that supplies sand sculptures, snow sculptures, ice sculptures and even custom
carved pumpkins. We now offer unique team building experiences and group activities for corporate and private clients. We have also
been featured on NBC's Today Show, Good Morning America, The Travel Channel, The New York Times, National Public Radio's Money
Market and numerous local and international publications. Some of our clients include Comcast, Liberty Mutual, Starbucks, Reebok,Toyota,
Staples, Lexus, Rafanelli Events, Tillenger's, Corinthian Events, Conventures, Mount Snow Vermont, Wachusett Mountain, Cape Pond
Ice, First Night Worcester, The Boston Red Sox, The New England Patriots, Webber Shandwick, Fidelity Investments, Boston Magazine,
North Eastern University, Tufts University and Medical Center, Excellence in Motivation, The Fallon Company, Massport, The Greater
Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, The North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Greater Merrimack Convention and
Visitors Bureau, The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the New England Aquarium just to name a few.