Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

One of the most spectacular public art events in Oregon is back for another year, bringing dozens of beautiful sand labyrinths to the southern coast.

Circles in the Sand, a project helmed by artist and religious practitioner Denny Dyke, has set a full schedule for 2019, with 55 draws planned through the beginning of September, each one taking place at Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint in Bandon.



Dyke and his team of volunteers spend hours drawing each labyrinth – which he calls a “dreamfield” – in the hard sand of low tide, before inviting the gathered crowds to walk the snaking paths, creating a unique public space for meditation and introspection.

Here’s the 2019 schedule:

JANUARY: 18 (evening), 19 (evening)

FEBRUARY: 1 (evening), 16 (evening), 17 (evening), 23, 24

MARCH: 16 (evening), 17 (evening), 23, 24

APRIL: 20, 21, 22

MAY: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19, 20, 21, 22

JUNE: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

JULY: 4, 5, 6, 7, 18, 19, 20, 21

AUGUST: 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17, 18

SEPTEMBER: 1, 2



Each labyrinth opens to the public at a different hour between 7 a.m. and noon, except for the evening draws which open at 4 or 5 p.m. Go to sandypathbandon.com to see more details.

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Dyke started making labyrinths in the sand back in 2011, but it wasn't until 2015 that he started drawing them full time, supported in his efforts by an enthusiastic fan base and a pair of local sponsors. Over the last four years, he's built a loyal local following buoyed by tourists who travel to this stretch of the Oregon coast just to walk one of his creations.



While Dyke is the leader, he works with a team of volunteers on every project, including James Ferreira, a lead groomer he calls his "wingman" and with whom he makes each design on the fly.



It always starts out with a blank canvas of beach, both men said at a draw this past August, which varies based on the tide, the weather and the constantly shifting sands. The two spontaneously make central design elements, which other groomers fill in with metal rakes and simple pointed sticks.



"It's like an empty dance floor, and you don't know what they're going to do or what's going to happen," said Ferreira's wife, Jacque, who's also a volunteer groomer.

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Dyke is quick to note that his creations are not technically labyrinths, since they have separate entrances and exits – a necessary design element when hundreds of people walk through at a time. But many in the labyrinth community have praised his work, embracing it as a modern take on an ancient tradition that stretches back thousands of years, when the designs were first incorporated into floors of cathedrals and civic buildings, reflecting the complexities of life, philosophy and faith.

Each of Dyke's dreamfields is made in the hard, wet sand of low tide, and within hours the surf naturally comes back in, washing away the beautiful work of art. In that way they're a statement on the temporary and ever-shifting nature of life, where moments of joy can be fleeting, always leaving us in need of fresh experiences.



That's a message Dyke has tried to carry over from his personal meditations to the community experiences he curates on the coast. He encourages people to take their worries into his dreamfields, leaving them in the center of a spiral and exiting the labyrinth with a smile.



"The ocean will take it and deal with it," he said.



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB



SEE MORE PHOTOS BELOW

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Denny Dyke poses with a fan outside of one of his labyrinths at the Face Rock Viewpoint in Bandon.

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Don't Edit