[Coral-List] World Renowned Artist, Wyland, Visits American Samoa

[Jeremy Goldberg]

 Hello all,

As the result of an invitation that was extended by Governor Togiola
Tulafono during the most recent US Coral Reef Task Force meeting in
Washington, DC, the world-renowned ocean and wildlife artist Wyland is
visiting American Samoa this week to work on a mural this week.  On
Monday, he dove at the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary in order
to view our local coral reefs and to derive inspiration for his mural.

Wyland, with assistance from the Coral Reef Advisory Group, will also
lead a large education/outreach campaign during the week involving
local artists, school teachers, and hundreds of children.  These
events are a part of our ongoing participation in the International
Year of the Reef festivities and further demonstrate the American
Samoan Government's commitment to coral reef conservation.

 Please note the official press release below.

 All the best,
 Jeremy


 Coral Reef Initiative Coordinator
 Resource Management Division
 Department of Commerce
 Pago Pago, American Samoa
 684.633.5155 (phone)
 684.633.4195 (fax)
 JGoldberg at doc.asg.as




 OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
 PRESS RELEASE
 (for immediate release – Wednesday, April 2, 2008)
 Contact: click here to email newsroom
 Office: (684) 633-4116 - Fax: (684) 633-2269 - Cell: (684) 733-4680

 Governor Togiola invites ocean artist Wyland to paint mural at EOB

  (UTULEI) – As the result of an invitation that was extended by
 Governor Togiola Tulafono during the most recent US Coral Reef Task
 Force meeting in Washington, DC, world-renowned ocean and wildlife
 artist and muralist Wyland will be visiting the Territory to work on
 an environment-themed mural at the Executive Office Building in Utulei
 on the north facing wall of EOB starting on Monday April 7th. The
 artist Wyland will arrive this Sunday to work on the mural that will
 commemorate the Festival of Pacific Arts and International Year of the
 Reef.

 "It was an honor to meet the famous artist in Washington DC," says
 Governor Togiola. "Knowing what a gifted and talented artist he is;
 knowing that he has a foundation that works with children and the
 community on conservation issues; and the fact that our Festival of
 Pacific Arts is coming up, I thought that this was an excellent
 opportunity to have a bona fide celebrity artist come to the Territory
 and commemorate the International Year of the Reef with a mural."

 In order to carry out the mural project and be as inclusive as
 possible, Governor Togiola is asking each school in the Territory to
 appoint two students and an art teacher to assist Wyland with the
 mural. School administrators are asked to have different students
 participate each day with Wyland to give opportunities to all of our
 local students to have interaction and gain from this experience.

 Students and teachers are being asked to be at the EOB on Tuesday,
 April 8th to Thursday, April 11th from 8am to 2pm. Only lunch will be
 provided. Students, teachers and parents are asked to make all other
 arrangements for transportation and breakfast.

 "I am very excited about this large-scale project that we are about to
 undertake. I extend my most heartfelt gratitude to Wyland and his
 foundation for making this project possible. Through efforts such as
 this, we hope to foster in our children and community a strong sense
 of appreciation for our environment and a strong commitment to its
 conservation," said Governor Togiola.

 Governor Togiola has written to DOE Director Claire Tuia Poumele,
 Acting ASCC President Seth Galea'i and Principals of Private Schools
 to announce the work that will be performed by Wyland.

 In his letter, Governor Togiola wrote:

 "Mr. Wyland invites local art teachers and students from both public
 and private schools to assist with this project. Wyland will also be
 conducting trainings in conjunction with this project.  This is a rare
 opportunity to have renowned talent who is willing to contribute and
 share his skills with our local teachers and students. I would
 appreciate your support by appointing a total of 8 students from each
 school, where 2 students per school for each day with an art teacher
 is to participate in this project. This will allow a rotation of
 different students each day to get Wyland's first hand training and
 participate in his program."

 Names of students and art teachers should be submitted to Mr. Lelei
 Peau of the Department of Commerce lelei.peau at noaa.org or 633-5155 and
 Deputy Chief of Staff Mr. Motu Seui of the Office of the Governor
 motu.seui at americansamoa.gov   or 633-4116 by this Friday, April 4th at
 4pm.

 Each school will need to arrange with parents for their child's
 transportation to and from EOB from April 8th - 11th – Work will be
 performed from 8am to 2pm.

 "This is a rare opportunity and I am deeply honored and very thankful
 that an internationally acclaimed artist who has dedicated his life to
 promote and capture the environment through magnificent murals has
 accepted our invitation to share his gift with American Samoa," said
 Governor Togiola. "The Territory is proud to have and display the work
 of art by Wyland. After seeing his wonderful work of art, and the
 respect he has to promote awareness to protect marine life, I
 concluded that American Samoa deserves a mural by Wyland."

 BIOGRAPHY OF WYLAND
 Robert Wyland was born in 1956 in Detroit Michigan. Known simply as
 Wyland, he is an artist best known for painting large, outdoor murals
 of whales and other ocean life throughout the US, as well as Canada,
 Japan, Australia, Mexico, France and New Zealand. He has been a
 pioneer in the marine art movement since 1971. This painter, sculptor,
 and muralist is one of the most prolific and celebrated artists of our
 time.

 Wyland paints in watercolors and oils in celebration of underwater sea
 life in his paintings and bronze sculptures.  Wyland divides his time
 between Oahu, Hawaii; Laguna Beach, California; and Florida. He has a
 goal of painting 100 Whaling Walls by 2011.

 To date, in addition to his spectacular paintings of a wide variety of
 marine life, Wyland has completed 95 of his landmark murals, the
 renowned "Whaling Walls." The first Wyland public, large size mural
 was of the "Gray Whale and Calf" in Laguna Beach, California in July
 1989. The 95th mural was a four-sided creation on the Penske Rentals
 Building in Key Largo, Florida in February 2007.
 ---americansamoa.gov---