W.L. Mural - 315,949 sq. ft.

Aerial view of record-breaking five-acre mural in the Florida panhandle by artist Wyland. The mural was completed in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan.

Artist Wyland to Break Own Record for World's Largest Mural
DESTIN, Fla., Sept. 21, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The artist responsible for nearly 100 marine life murals around the world -- many over an acre in total area -- is set to break his own world record for the largest painting ever created by one person. Marine life artist and environmentalist Wyland expects to complete a five-acre mural of sea life of the Gulf of Mexico this week in the wake of Hurricane Ivan, which rolled through the Florida panhandle on Thursday.

The mural, titled "Marine Life of the Gulf," will encompass the entire Legendary Marina, a 315,949-square-foot (7 1/4 acres) dry storage marina at the south side of the Mid-Bay Bridge on the Choctawhatchee Bay in Destin, Fla. The painting will break the artist's previous record listed in the 1993 Guinness Book of World Records by more than two acres.

Wyland completed the first phase of the project a month after September 11, 2001. In addition to the mural, he created a one-acre flag -- the largest painted flag in the world -- on the roof of the marina as a salute to the armed forces at nearby Eglin Air Force Base. Recently, another 150,023 square feet was added to the facility by Destin-based Legendary Inc., which owns the property, presenting the artist with an opportunity to break his own world record on the 134,000-square-foot Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif.

"This facility was enormous when I first painted it," said Wyland, who intends to complement the rooftop flag with a gigantic portrait of planet Earth. "When the people at Legendary told me they were doubling its size, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to break my first record mural. I already know it's bigger because my painting arm is twice as sore."

So far, the artist has used more than 10,000 gallons of paint on the Destin mural, which includes life-size humpback whales, blue whales, orcas and dolphins. He has completed 91 monumental "Whaling Wall" murals in 70 cities around the world as part of the 27-year, non-profit arts-in-public-places project. He hopes to complete the last in the series of 100 murals on a 10-mile stretch of the Great Wall of China in 2008.

NOTE: A dedication ceremony will be held from 1-2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, at the Legendary Marina (the location noted above).