An ocean of art: New gallery opens in the Esplanade

The latest addition to the Marco Island art scene made its debut Friday evening.

Fittingly for an island in the Gulf of Mexico, the Ocean Blue gallery features the work of internationally-known wildlife artist and environmentalist Wyland.

Adjacent to the Guy Harvey Island Grill and shop in the Esplanade, the gallery shares the same owner, Peter McFarland.

A who’s who of island faces sipped wine, chatted, and inspected Wyland’s amazingly diverse artwork at the gallery’s opening celebration. City Manager Steve Thompson and Art League Executive Director Christine Neal chatted with groups while admiring the whales, turtles, and other sea creatures featured in paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and even carved wooden furniture.

“This is a tangible demonstration of the value of culture to Marco Island,” said Iberia Bank manager Keith Dameron. “There is a community of the arts on Marco, and we’re gradually, tortuously moving to the realization we’re all dependent on each other.”

“Art is a focal point of Marco Island, and this fits right in,” said Dave Rice, better known on the gridiron than in the gallery. “I don’t know much about art, but I know I want it here.”

Ocean Blue’s v.p. of marketing, William Bayes, greeted the guests, and jokingly reminded them the raison d’etre for the gallery is commercial as well as artistic and environmental.

“Buy a piece of art tonight, or wait and do it tomorrow – whatever works best for you,” he urged.

While many of the art works on display were stunning, the price tags were no less so. One large oil of a semi-abstract sunset, “Warmth of the Seas,” was tagged at $65,555, and a glass-topped table supported by two bronze humpback whales was going for $21,250.

“I love the whales kissing,” said Tracy Gudgel, admiring a painting titled “Romance of the Seas,” priced at $34,555. “I’m an artist as well, and it’s fascinating to see works of this caliber.” Gudgel works out of the Waterfront Studios, also in the Esplanade.

“I really like Wyland’s black and white brush stroke pieces,” said Neal, gesturing to a manta ray executed in Chinese brush technique, and tagged at $5,895. “I wish them great success here. They’ve done a great job pulling it together.”

A coffee table book featuring Wyland’s life and art, richly illustrated and containing whimsical extras such as aural samples of Wyland’s original music and a brochure in Chinese for one of his “Whaling Walls,” is available for $45.

Wyland gained renown for the Whaling Walls, his series of enormous murals all over the world featuring marine scenes. In 2008, he completed the 100th of these works, with a mural in Beijing as part of the “Green Olympics.”

The artist has been a leader in promoting environmentalism, and created the Wyland Foundation, focusing on children with a message espousing art, science and conservation. The foundation has conducted events all over the continent, reaching over 50 million people.

Wyland’s works share space in the Ocean Blue gallery with his friend and fellow marine artist Guy Harvey, and the gallery opens into Guy Harvey’s Island Grill. Following the formula they share with Tommy Bahamas, the establishments combine shopping and dining. Table not ready yet? Step next door and buy a couple of hundred dollars worth of shirts, or a couple of thousand dollars worth of art.

The master plan, said Bayes, involves creating a chain of Ocean Blue establishments, with galleries married to restaurants. The company has plans to expand to Denver and Seattle, and two locations are scheduled to open in Dallas in the next six months.