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A sanctuary for the future
By BARBARA BEHRENDT © St. Petersburg Times, published October 24, 2000 HOMOSASSA SPRINGS -- As internationally acclaimed artist Wyland finished his work Monday, the 400-square-foot mural he painted stood as colorful testimony to the beauty of manatees and their underwater realm.
For example, he got a key to the city of Crystal River, hugs and handshakes from a wide variety of fans of his art, the gratitude of officials from across Citrus County and Florida -- and some quality swimming time with the captive manatee herd at the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. Before an audience which topped 250, Wyland and various officials clipped the symbolic ribbon, officially dedicating the artist's 86th Whaling Wall on the side of the Visitor Center at the state park on U.S. 19. His plan is to paint 100 such walls by 2011 to draw all people into his goal of preserving marine mammals and all life in the ocean.
As officials and visitors gathered in a big semicircle around the wall Monday morning, Citrus County's tourism program coordinator Mary Craven spoke of the importance of the mural. "We're revising our (tourism) brochure and this will definitely be in it," she said. Moments later, the unassuming Wyland strode through the crowd in a tropical shirt carrying a bottle of water. "Can I sneak through here?" he asked, the crowd applauding as they recognized the artist. Park manager Tom Linley noted, "This is only the second manatee wall. It's also the smallest, but we'd like to think of it as the best." Fran Mainella, parks director for the state, thanked Wyland and everyone who helped make the event possible. She read a letter from Gov. Jeb Bush expressing regret for being unable to attend the dedication, which comes just days after Bush sponsored a manatee summit in Tallahassee to focus more attention on manatee protection issues. Sponsors, park volunteers and officials with the Wyland Foundation expressed their appreciation for the artist's efforts. Harvey, the artist from Jamaica who helped Wyland and who is also a college professor trained in fisheries management, also spoke about the memorable experiences at the park. From swimming with manatees to painting and interacting with a lively crowd, Harvey noted, "This has really been a very big thing for me." Harvey hoped to work on future walls with Wyland and noted, "We both have a very strong message to give to the public. We're both educators in our own way." Wyland surveyed the crowd and said, "This is an amazing day. It's been an amazing week." He spoke about his first visit to the park in 1998, when he was filming a segment on manatees for his Animal Planet network show known as Wyland's World. He joked about his show's cancellation. "That was until that Crocodile guy, the Crocodile Hunter whipped me in the ratings," Wyland said with a wide smile. "I hear he's been here, too." The artist then introduced Norma Stevens, his seventh- and eighth-grade art teacher, who now lives in Citrus County and works with the park. "She did come down to the wall to see how I was doing," Wyland said. "She gave me an A plus . . . I have a kid's job, except they're not allowed to paint on the wall at school. But maybe they will be now." Wyland worked with area students Saturday, helping them paint murals of sea life. He spoke about the need for students to have art available to them in school. He also spoke about the need to spread the message of marine conservation. "This wall is small, but it's mighty. It carries the message of the manatee and the manatee is an icon," he said. "Young people are going to save the manatee. They're going to save all the life in the sea." Wyland and Harvey then concluded the event by signing their names to the mural, entitled Manatee Sanctuary.
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