By Emily Roden
At the heart of Guy Harvey’s mission rests both his passion for marine life conservation and his passion for art. Through the Wild Forever Art Contest, the Guy Harvey award has been able to foster both of these passions in contestants from around the world. Each year, a species or category of fish is chosen for contestants to paint and write an essay on. Though the COVID-19 crisis had an impact on the award ceremony and other in-person elements of this year’s contest, it hasn’t impacted the amount of contestants — with over 5,000 entries from 47 states and 32 international countries — nor the amazing creativity shown. This year’s contestants had to create an artwork depicting a saltwater or anadromous fish from an Official Fish List, as well as write an essay describing the role that this fish plays in the ocean’s ecosystem. This year’s recipient of the Guy Harvey Award was Hyeri Chun from New Jersey, who painted the steelhead trout, as seen below. In winning this award, he received signed artwork from Dr. Guy Harvey, as well as international recognition and a certificate.
In sponsoring the Guy Harvey Award, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation educates people about issues facing marine life and highlights the work done by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to ensure that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a naturally balanced ocean ecosystem.
