VIDEO: Artist Tells Story of Bay of Fundy and His Mural That’s Getting Global Attention
SAINT JOHN – The world-renowned artist who was in Saint John last month to paint a large mural of a woman in the city’s inner harbour has released a video montage of the Bay of Fundy that inspired his work of art.
“The way the world works never ceases to amaze me,” says the Hawaii-born Sean Yoro (known as Hula), who has painted murals around the world on rock faces alongside waterfalls and on trees in remote forests. “Her phenomenons inspire my art, leading me to different parts of the earth. The Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada, is home to the largest tide changes in the world. Here in Saint John, the water level rises and falls 28 feet every six hours…I am hoping to learn from these tides to create something beautiful.”
In the five minute video, he chronicles the creation of a mural of woman reaching out of the water. At low tide, residents and visitors arriving on cruise ships can see her head and arms. At high tide, only her fingertips are visible.
Discover Saint John commissioned the mural, with the support of local company Strong and Free, because of Hula’s global reach and reputation, said executive director Victoria Clarke in an interview last month. He has 172,000 followers on Instagram, and Clarke says these are the kinds of things you need to draw attention to the city.
The mural has already received attention in global media outlets, most recently in a photo feature on the website for CNN, which has done stories on Hula’s work in the past.
When Clarke commissioned the mural, she didn’t know how long it would take for the tides to wash away the mural. But she knew the videos, pictures and stories posted on the internet would have a lasting impact on the city’s ability to market itself to potential visitors from around the world.
“My target market isn’t Saint Johners,” said Clarke. “If you’re here I’ve got you already… My target market is the rest of New Brunswick, New England, the rest of Canada, and now with a partnership like this with Sean (Hula), really the rest of the world.”
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