Wyland: Fundraising for Victims of the Maui Wildfires

Wyland looks out onto plastic debris on at Midway Atoll National Wildlife RefugeWikimedia CommonsAmerican artist and conservationist Robert Wyland is known for creating more than one hundred outdoor murals, depicting life-size sea creatures; the art series is called The Whaling Walls. Wyland’s gallery, in the heart of Lahaina, Maui County in Hawaii, was destroyed in the wildfire that broke out in Maui on August 8^th, 2023. Wyland, in response to the devastation caused by the fire, has organized a number of events in Oahu to fundraise for victims of the fire.

Robert Wyland’s love of was sparked upon witnessing a pod of grey whales migrating down the coast of California towards Mexico, when he was just 14 years old. In 1977, he decided to move to Laguna Beach, California, in the hope of seeing more marine life. Two years later, he decided to split his time, spending summers in Laguna Beach, and winters in Maui, Hawaii, so that he could dive and see other species of whale, like the humpback. At the time, Wyland was a “starving artist,” and spent his visits to Maui at The Pioneer Inn until he was finally able to afford a small studio of his own. Soon after, the artist was invited to partake in a research project which allowed him to dive with humpback whales, inspiring him to depict them in his art. On the impact Lahaina had on him, Wyland told The Orange County Register, “Those were the good old days, I would swim with humpback whales all day and come back and paint scenes. It was the best life. It was just awesome. Lahaina had a profound impact on my art and life. So it’s very personal for me, to see it go up in flames like that.”[1]

In 1981, Wyland painted the first Whaling Wall on the large wall of a parking lot in Laguna Beach. A decade later, he came across a vast seawall in Lahaina, and reached out to local authorities to request permission to paint the wall. They declined, but Wyland decided to go ahead and paint the wall regardless. He started the project in the early hours one Friday morning; once daylight hit, a crowd began to form as people stopped to watch him paint. Once complete, surfer Gerry Lopez helped Wyland dedicate the piece with a traditional Hawaiian ceremony held by the community to embrace the mural. The mural, Whaling Wall no. 30, remained there for a year before authorities made Wyland remove the panels on which the mural was painted. The panels are currently being stored in a warehouse until it can be installed in a museum in Florida. The original wall is still standing, though it was damaged in the fire.

Now, Wyland lives in a home in Oahu. On the resilience of the people of Hawaii, Wyland told The Orange County Register,

“I know the strength and resilience of the Hawaiian people. You don’t have to be from Hawaii to feel that Maui magic. It puts a spell on you like no other place. It did me. Once you’ve experienced it, it never leaves you. That’s why I truly believe Maui will rebuild. It will be different, it won’t be the same place. It’s devastating, but I’m going to do everything I can, along with everyone else in the community, to ensure we get Maui back.”[2]

He was scheduled to appear at an event at his gallery in Lahaina in August, but, due to the destruction of the gallery, the event was cancelled. Instead, Wyland organized two events to raise funds to support people affected by the fires, held on August 18th and 19th. He is also in contact with musicians, such as Jack Johnson and Mick Fleetwood, hoping to collaborate on more charitable events to help people in the aftermath of the fires. He urges people to give what ever they can, to help the residents of Lahaina.

So far, through various GoFundMe pleas, over $30 million have been donated by people from across the globe. 

To see how you can help, visit: https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/help-maui-fire-victims-heres-how-you-can-donate

[1] Connelly, Laylan. Fire destroys Wyland’s Maui gallery, he shares ‘starving artist’ memories of Lahaina. [Online] Available https://www.ocregister.com/2023/08/15/fire-destroys-wylands-maui-gallery-he-shares-starving-artist-memories-of-lahaina.2023.

[2] Ibid.