Gulf Shores, Ala. – (GSN) – Gulf Shores is set to welcome world-renowned marine artist Wyland for a special visit this week. Beyond simply arriving in town, the artist is launching an exclusive partnership with Surf Style to debut a custom-designed aquatic mural at the corner of Highway 59 and Beach Boulevard.

Robert Wyland, an artist legally known simply as "Wyland," has spent over four decades transforming urban landscapes into tributes to the world’s oceans. Best known for his "Whaling Walls," a massive series of outdoor murals featuring life-size depictions of marine life, Wyland has become a singular figure in both the art world and the environmental movement.

Wyland’s journey began far from the ocean. Born in Detroit in 1956, he developed an early interest in painting, but his artistic trajectory shifted irrevocably during a 1971 family vacation to Laguna Beach, California. Witnessing grey whales breaching during their annual migration was a transformative experience that fueled his lifelong commitment to marine conservation. Moving to California later, he spent years as a self-described "starving artist," eventually finding his breakthrough in 1981 when he spray-painted his first whale mural on the side of a building facing a Laguna Beach parking lot.

The success of that initial mural inspired Wyland to launch an ambitious global project: to paint 100 whale-themed murals. Over the next 27 years, he achieved this goal, completing his 100th mural, Hands Across the Oceans, in Beijing in 2008.

Wyland’s influence with new collaborations continues to emerge. This week it was announced that the Gulf Shores Surf Style would partner with Wyland for a new art installation. The planned mural on Highway 59 and Beach Boulevard aims to reflect local marine life. Angela Chaffins of the Surf Style organization made the announcement to the Gulf Shores City Council and invited local artist, educators and residents to meet the artist this Saturday, June 20.

SAMPLES OF WYLAND'S WORK