Eyesplash - Summer was a blast, for 6 million view
Wyland at the Olympics
VANCOUVER -- A weathered 7,200-square-foot orca mural on the side of the Old Continental Residence at the north end of the Granville Street bridge is getting a makeover.
A rededication ceremony was held Monday at the mural by the Wyland Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes, art, science, and conservation.
Vancouver's mural, which greets downtown commuters each day, was originally painted by renowned muralist Robert Wyland, the foundation's creator, in 1994 and features orcas breaching the water.
He volunteered to repaint the mural in an effort to raise awareness towards environmental conservation during the Olympics.
"We want this mural to serve as a reminder to everyone who comes to Vancouver, especially during the Olympics, of the importance of working together as a global community to protect our environment," said Wyland in a statement from his foundation.
"It just looked so ravaged. It was a disservice for it to continue to look like that," added Steve Creech, the foundation's special projects director. Creech said the restoration effort has been "massive." There are about 70 layers of paint that need to be chipped away, and the surface needs to be refinished in many areas, Creech said.
"He's kind of like the Terminator of art so we're just going for it," in time to finish for the Olympics, Creech said of Wyland, who owns the Guinness record for the world's largest mural.
Worldwide, Wyland has painted 100 murals of marine life. His last mural was created for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The mural restoration is a byproduct of hundreds of hours of volunteered time, painting supplies, and money from the Wyland Foundation, Vancouver paint company Pure Painters, and various supporters of the arts, including Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman.
"Not a penny of city money went into this," Creech said.
The Organizing Committee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Vanoc) also gave Wyland the honour of painting Olympic rings on the mural, Creech said.
gwood@vancouversun.com
Wyland at the Olympics
VANCOUVER -- A weathered 7,200-square-foot orca mural on the side of the Old Continental Residence at the north end of the Granville Street bridge is getting a makeover.
A rededication ceremony was held Monday at the mural by the Wyland Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes, art, science, and conservation.
Vancouver's mural, which greets downtown commuters each day, was originally painted by renowned muralist Robert Wyland, the foundation's creator, in 1994 and features orcas breaching the water.
He volunteered to repaint the mural in an effort to raise awareness towards environmental conservation during the Olympics.
"We want this mural to serve as a reminder to everyone who comes to Vancouver, especially during the Olympics, of the importance of working together as a global community to protect our environment," said Wyland in a statement from his foundation.
"It just looked so ravaged. It was a disservice for it to continue to look like that," added Steve Creech, the foundation's special projects director. Creech said the restoration effort has been "massive." There are about 70 layers of paint that need to be chipped away, and the surface needs to be refinished in many areas, Creech said.
"He's kind of like the Terminator of art so we're just going for it," in time to finish for the Olympics, Creech said of Wyland, who owns the Guinness record for the world's largest mural.
Worldwide, Wyland has painted 100 murals of marine life. His last mural was created for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The mural restoration is a byproduct of hundreds of hours of volunteered time, painting supplies, and money from the Wyland Foundation, Vancouver paint company Pure Painters, and various supporters of the arts, including Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman.
"Not a penny of city money went into this," Creech said.
The Organizing Committee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Vanoc) also gave Wyland the honour of painting Olympic rings on the mural, Creech said.
gwood@vancouversun.com