New York Aquarium 2017 Mural Competition
We received incredible submissions from artists all around the New York area who wanted to transform our Education Hall Boardwalk wall and inspire people to protect our waters. The results are in! Thanks to your help, and more that 2,300 votes, we've officially chosen the winners of our 2017 Mural Competition.
Congratulations to Sheena Wong, Danielle Mastrion, and Thomas Manco!
See below for their winning mural suggestions. The winners will be installing their murals during World Ocean's Day, the week of June 8. Be sure to stop by and see the action live!
As part of the Wildlife Conservation Society it's our goal to protect our oceans and marine wildlife, especially in NY. More than eight million tons of plastic ends up in our rivers, streams and oceans -- at this rate, oceans could contain more plastics than fish (by weight) by 2050*. This mural will help us shape a better future for our waters.
Mural Winners
Artist: Sheena Wong Shue
Artist Statement: The plastic pollution in our ocean is a growing problem. Without the preservation of our ocean, most of the sea life would perish and in turn, we would not survive. The lack of awareness to sustain the cleanliness of our ocean is one of the main causes of the current increase in the amount of plastic pollution in the ocean. Together we must inform one another to take preventative measures to recycle and encourage the use of biodegradable products. The premise of the mural design I created was to display the overcrowding of plastic pollution in the ocean
Artist Bio: Sheena Wong Shue is a contemporary artist of Jamaican-Chinese heritage born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in South Florida. She currently works in Brooklyn using varied materials (including acrylic paint, paper, varnishes, and spray paint) to subversively depict various iconic pop culture characters and logos.
Artist: Danielle Mastrion
Artist Statement: The theme is 'Phoenix rising from the ashes' The Phoenix represented by the animal which represents the state of the ocean from polluted to clean. First you see the bones of the tail-Next the main portion of the tail is plastic pollutants with a darker background. Then the background becomes brighter-the water clearer-sunlight penetrates because it's clean. The tail turns into beautiful HEALTHY scales. The position is tilted representing her 'rising' from the ashes from garbage to clean. Throughout there are air bubbles with important information regarding how we can reduce plastic waste & how Ocean Plastics harm written in the bubbles.
Artist Bio: Danielle is a Painter & Muralist from the Sheepshead Bay/Coney Island section of Brooklyn. Shes been an artist her entire life & began painting large scale murals 5 years ago. Her work is found internationally, but she'll always call Coney Island Beach home.
Artist: Thomas Manco
Artist Statement: I intend to create a surrealist aquatic mural scene with hidden elements emphasizing the impact discarded plastics have on our precious marine life. I hope to illustrate the detrimental repercussions of plastic pollution. Including: A coral reef made from un-recycled plastics, like disposable cutlery, cups, straws, milk-jugs, detergent and bleach bottles. Whales made from two-litter soda bottles, Bottlenose dolphins with water bottles for noses, Spotted-eagle stingrays constructed from multi-gallon garbage bags, etc.
Artist Bio: Tom Manco is Fine Art/Art History Graduate of SUNY New Paltz, class of 1995; with over 25 years of painting experience, Tom's murals can be found in New York, Georgia, Florida, France & Scotland. Since 2009 Tom has been the resident Muralist at The Children's Museum of Manhattan
*According to the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
