“Cape Cod and the surrounding area has such a wonderfully creative community, the decision to attempt the towel show here felt natural.”
Miami-based artist Brian Butler aka Upperhand Art has spent most of his life next to the beach. Before moving to Florida, he grew up less than a mile from Rexhame Beach in Marshfield, where nature—the shift of tides, crabs, lobsters, seagulls and rolling waves—influenced his unique art style.
“The beach is just such an incredible source of inspiration,” he said in an interview. “The vastness of the sea, salty air, dunes, and wildlife are just imprinted on my identity. By the sea I pledge my love to thee, man. That salty air has certainly carried over into my murals and artwork.”
Butler’s surf-infused style has paired perfectly with many of the jobs he’s been hired for over the last few years—painting at festivals like Levitate, creating murals for businesses, and, most recently creating a DIY art installation using beach towels.
Butler first unveiled the latter program in Miami earlier this summer and is getting ready for another round on Aug. 24 in Wellfleet in conjunction with Cape Cod’s 51st annual Oldtimers Longboard Classic at White Crest Beach. He’s also asking for help from the public.
Butler said he organized his first beach towel art show earlier in the summer as a tongue-in-cheek invitation for some ordinary people to participate in Miami’s global art week. During a stretch marked by exclusivity and high price tags, he wanted to create something much more accessible. Now, he’s trying to bring similar low key vibes to the Cape. Anyone can join in, he said. Ideally, the towels are made in advance.
“I personally love when artists abandon the rectangle format and create unique shapes,” he said. “It’s cool to see the different avenues people take to customize their towel. Sewing, painting, quilting, and collage are all wonderful paths for making something custom for the beach.” Using print-on-demand websites is the most common method, he said, but they usually take two weeks to arrive and cost around $40 to $50.
In Miami, more than 60 people prepared their artistic towels, bringing them to the event from all over the world. Artists of all ages and backgrounds came together for the spectacle, Butler said. Some standouts included Vida Sophia’s “Culo Towel,” which featured a sewn-in pillow shaped like a booty, and another fan favorite by Kelly Breeze, who created a towel shaped like a martini glass.
“Our response was to hold a renegade towel show, on the sands of beautiful South Beach,” Butler said. “Different creative groups from across the city united to promote an open call, whereby anyone could make a beach towel to share in the sand. … We kept things incredibly casual. No tents or spectacle. Just towels and a gathering of creative people excited to share their creations.”
“Print, sew, paint, stitch, dye or just dress up as a beach towel,” he added. “All are welcome to come and showcase their creations. … Cape Cod and the surrounding area has such a wonderfully creative community, the decision to attempt the towel show here felt natural. We’re so fortunate to have the support of Oldtimers. Each year they commission a new artist to develop an event poster and shirt graphic. It’s so cool they have used art as the beacon to rally their surf community.”
