Hollywood, California Wyland Whaling Wall 62

History of the Hollywood, California Wyland Whaling Wall 62

-Celebrating Gray Whales

Whaling wall 62

When “Celebrating Gray Whales” was located at the Mann’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, it drew a connection between the beauty and excitement of Hollywood and the majestic spark of the Pacific Ocean. Wyland enlisted the help of John Grant to dedication this mural in September of 1994 in one of the most heavily visited areas of southern California in anticipation of the annual Gray Whale Migration from frigid waters of Alaska to the temperate climate off the coast of Mexico. This intersection of events brought marine conservation to the entertainment world. Although the location of the mural brought forward interesting questions, Wyland saw Hollywood’s international reach as the perfect opportunity to bring awareness to gray whales and the protection of ocean wildlife.

Moreover, the timing of mural accompanied a new age of interest in conservation. After a fallow period in which conservation had taken a backseat to the “me” decade of the 1980s, there was now a resurgence of interest in protecting endangered species, like the gray whale. Mann’s Chinese Theater was indeed a perfect way to connect new audiences with the mural and, most importantly, and share the impacts of human activities on the health of our marine ecosystems.

Did You Know?

The California Coastal Act of 1976 made California one of the first states to openly protect the environment with legal action.
In 1994, the gray whale recovered from the brink of extinction and was taken off of the endangered species list. This mural celebrated this incredibly victory for conservation.

Honoring how far conservation had come, and the distance it still needed to travel, was Wyland’s goal with “Celebrating Gary Whales”. The Wyland Foundation celebrates alongside Wyland and continues to strive to support his efforts, especially regarding upstream actions and their effect on downstream ecosystems.

Mann’s Chinese Theater
6901 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, California
152 Feet Long x 37 Feet High
Dedicated September 12th, 1994
By John Grant

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