Blue Ballet

“Blue Ballet” marks the inaugural large scale artwork to come from Wyland’s new mural studio. Custom built in Irvine, California, to accommodate the creation of large-as-life artworks, the expansive one-of-a-kind studio provides the needed space for the Wyland’s biggest subjects. The original 200-square-foot “Blue Ballet” mural was created for loan to the renowned Georgia Aquarium as part of the kickoff for the 2013 Wyland National Classroom Mural and Art Challenge. Wyland spent over a month creating the mural using a pallet of color reflecting the extraordinary marine life on display within the aquarium’s 8 million gallon salt water tank.

The aquarium is part of the Smithsonian Intuition’s Affiliations program and in many ways mirrors an art housing over 100,000 animals, representing 500 species. “Places like the Georgia Aquarium are doing enormous educational work,” Wyland says. “They are among the best institutions in the world for recreating a naturalistic environment for the animals they oversee.” Wyland’s serene depiction of giant mantas floating over a colorful reef is a testament to Wyland’s own efforts in conservation education.  The name Blue Ballet was chosen by the Georgia Aquarium as part of the first-ever naming contest for a Wyland work of art.