As part of the Wyland Foundation’s mission to inspire the ongoing conservation of our world’s water habitats, the Foundation, in partnership with the City of Long Beach, has restored the landmark ocean-themed mural, entitled Ocean Planet, on the Long Beach Arena, part of the Long Beach Convention Center complex.
The mural was named the world’s largest by the 1993 Guinness Book of World Records. Measuring 1,280 feet by 100 feet, it was originally painted in 1992 by eco-artist Wyland as the 33rd mural of his 100 “Whaling Wall” series. After 16 years in the sunlight and salty sea air, the mural was fading and peeling – and in desperate need of repair.
The mural depicts the underwater environment and marine life common to California waters including gray whales, orcas, garibaldi, kelp, sea lions and more.
Wyland took on the restoration work himself to beautify the city in commemoration of Earth Day, April 22. “We’re using art as a gateway to conservation,” said the artist. “For a lot of people, that’s where the concept of a healthy environment really sinks in — by visualizing what we are protecting – the ocean, marine life, and the natural world around us.”
Wyland began his monumental Whaling Wall mural campaign in Laguna Beach, Calif. in 1981 and has since painted 100 life-size marine life murals in nearly 80 cities on five continents. Wyland painted his 100th and final mural in Beijing, China last summer.
The Wyland Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded by Wyland in 1993 to promote, protect, and preserve the world’s ocean, waterways, and marine life. The foundation encourages environmental awareness through classroom education programs, life-size public arts projects, and community events. For more information, visit www.wylandfoundation.org.
Wyland will appear in person at SCUBA Show 2009, May 30-31 (the weekend after Memorial Day) doing a live painting and meeting fans. In addition, he will have a large display of his artwork on hand. For information on the SCUBA Show, visit www.scubashow.com.
