After our success on the Grandville bridge we needed to figure out how to get to White Rock, a suburb of Vancouver. We thought of renting a car and driving down but renting a car is not always easy. We got lucky that Hertz was out of cars and the counter person suggested we take the SkyTrain and a bus to get there. She had a friend in White Rock and knew exactly how to get there on public transportation. Her directions were great and an hour later we found ourselves in White Rock.
The Gray Whale Family was Wyland’s first international wall and was inspired by the death of 7 gray whales off the White Rock coast. Unlike some walls that seems ignored this one seems supported by the community. It is the first wall we’ve seen that has a plaque explaining the wall and giving some info on the artist and the reason it is there. The mural is in great shape and may have been restored.
Whiterock, BC, Canada
70 Feet Long x 30 Feet High
Excerpt from @wylandfoundation on Instagram
In 1984 the mayor of White Rock, Canada, Gordon Hogg, was looking for public art. The death of seven gray whales that year in the White Rock area had alarmed the community and heightened their awareness of the animals plight. As it so happened, Wyland was in town for an exhibition of his work at the @vanaqua and was looking for walls to paint!
“It was very inspirational for me to receive warmth and encouragement from the people of White Rock,” Wyland says. “They had such a tremendous appreciation for what I was doing, and I really wanted to give something back to them.”
The 30′ by 70′ mural was the artist’s first international Whaling Wall. It depicts a mother gray whale, her calf and their male escort as they pass by White Rock on their annual migration from Baja, Mexica, to the Bering and Chukchi seas off Siberia. The 6,000-mile trip takes the whales six to eight weeks, at speeds of 100 miles per day.
Mayor Hogg gave Wyland the key to the city and the dedication ceremony.
Recently restored; this mural will remain as a façade following demolition of the original building.