Robert Wyland
Wyland (born July 9, 1956) is an American artist and conservationist best known for his more than 100 Whaling Walls, large outdoor murals featuring images of life-size whales and other sea life.[1]
Life and career
A native of Madison Heights, Michigan, Wyland began painting as a child and attended Detroit's Center for Creative Studies in the 1970s.[2] Wyland's connection with whales began when he was 14 on a visit with his family to Laguna Beach, California where he saw the ocean for the first time and witnessed several gray whales migrating down the California coast towards Mexico.[3] In 1977 he moved to Laguna Beach and in 1981 painted his first Whaling Wall mural at a Laguna Beach parking lot.[4] This original 1981 Whaling Wall was destroyed in 1996, and in 2019 Wyland re-created the mural on exterior wall-mounted canvas with a painted ceramic tile component.[4]
In 1993, he founded the non-profit Wyland Foundation "to help children rediscover the wonder of the ocean through art" (according to Steve Creech, the foundation's Executive Director)[5] and to finance his Whaling Wall murals.[6] Wyland's largest ocean mural sets an international record of over three acres in area, on the exterior of the Long Beach Convention Center.[7][8] Wyland's 100th Whaling Wall was painted in Beijing in 2008.[9] His foundation has since expanded its work to include other environmental initiatives such as sponsorship of the National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation.[10]
By 1997, his commercial work (sold through Wyland Galleries LLC) and licensed merchandise sold at zoos and other outlets had become a multimillion-dollar business.[11][12] His artwork has been featured on specialty license plates in California and Florida, and on a series of four United Nations stamps issued in 2010 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.[13][14]
In 2018, Norwegian Cruise Line launched their newest cruise ship, Norwegian Bliss. Wyland designed and painted a massive mural on the hull of the over 1,000-foot-long ship, featuring his trademark images of life-sized whales.[15][non-primary source needed]
Wyland lives in Florida Keys, California and Hawaii.[16]
See also
References
- ^ Gould, Whitney (9 June 1997). "Whaling Wall' Project Offers A Lot To Ponder, As Well As See". Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ Arrellano, Christopher (24 April 1983). "Artist In Town To Check Out His 'canvas'", pp. A1, A8. The Day. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ Pinho, Faith E. (July 20, 2019). "Wyland returns his 'whaling wall' to its original spot in Laguna Beach". Los Angeles Times | Daily Pilot. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "The Whaling Wall" (1996, 2019) by Wyland". Public Art in Public Places. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Creech, Steve (June 2013). "Wyland: Artist and Conservationist". Arts and Activities. Retrieved 11 September 2014 via Questia Online Library (subscription required).
- ^ Tobias, Lucy (25 October 2000). "Crowds Gather To Watch Artist At Work In Homosassa", pp. 1B and 6B. Ocala Star-Banner.
- ^ Boxall, Bettina (December 12, 1991). "Project: Art: City officials and renowned artist paint a deal to create the world's largest mural". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Connelly, Laylan (November 8, 2018). "Where's Wyland? Iconic, massive, marine." Orange County Register. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ ENS (27 June 2008). "Wyland to Paint 100th Whaling Wall Mural in Beijing". NBC New York. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ City of Tucson (2014). "National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation". Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ Reese, Joel (30 September 1997). "Worshiping at the Whaling Wall His New Mural in Downtown Chicago Thrills His Fans, but Critics Say Wyland Is a Better Self-Promoter Than an Artist". Daily Herald (Arlington Heights). Retrieved 11 September 2014 via Questia Online Library (subscription required).
- ^ Pfister, Darlene (5 September 1997). "Artist Wyland creates whale of a mural". Star-Tribune. Retrieved 11 September 2014 via HighBeam Research (subscription required).
- ^ Skirble, Rosanne (6 June 2010). "Marine Artist Receives Stamp of Approval". Voice of America. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ Rosenblatt, Susannah (25 June 2008). "Artist's whale request causes a flap". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ "Norwegian Cruise Line Reveals Wyland's Visionary Hull Artwork for Norwegian Bliss". www.ncl.com. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
- ^ Connelly, Laylan (January 25, 2015). "Wyland offering art lessons for kids". The Orange County Register. p. Sports 11.
External links
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