Wildlife Jewels Kicks Off The Art of Newport Beach Wildlife at Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory
An inspiring day of Art, Science, and Marine Life
On Saturday, June 27, Wildlife Jewels welcomed community members of all ages to the breathtaking waterfront setting of historic Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory in Corona del Mar for The Art of Newport Beach Wildlife: Marine & Coastal Wildlife, the first event in The Art of Newport Beach Wildlife community art series made possible through the City of Newport Beach Cultural Arts Grant Program.
Surrounded by the beauty of Newport Harbor, the afternoon brought together art, science, education, conservation, and community to celebrate the remarkable marine and coastal wildlife that makes Newport Beach so extraordinary while inspiring people to become part of its protection.
Guests began the afternoon with a Wildlife Jewels presentation exploring the incredible diversity of marine and coastal wildlife found throughout Newport Beach. Drawing from Wildlife Jewels' EYES coastal wildlife observation program and Wildlife Jewels Rescue Crew efforts, participants learned about many of the animals featured in the artwork—each representing a real wildlife story observed, monitored, documented, or connected with rescue support by Wildlife Jewels volunteers.
The centerpiece of the afternoon was a large collaborative canvas titled Jewels of Newport Beach: Marine & Coastal Wildlife, an original composition created and hand drawn by Wildlife Jewels Founder and artist Azi Sharif. Throughout the afternoon, participants of all ages helped bring the artwork to life, each contributing their own creativity to a shared celebration of Newport Beach's extraordinary marine and coastal wildlife.
At the heart of the composition, Dr. Sharif painted a majestic Brown Pelican inspired by one of the pelicans rehabilitated following last year's devastating domoic acid wildlife crisis along the California coast. Surrounding the centerpiece, participants painted a vibrant collection of local wildlife, including Crystal the Western Gull, sea urchins, fish, seabirds, and other species that call Newport Beach's coastline home. Every brushstroke represented not only the beauty of these animals, but also our shared responsibility to help protect them.
Guests also created their own original wildlife artwork on Wildlife Jewels' signature Paint for Wildlife linen fabric panels. Participants chose the species that inspired them—from seabirds and fish to sea stars, sea urchins, and other marine life. These individual works will be carefully incorporated into a collaborative mixed-media installation by Wildlife Jewels and unveiled alongside the completed Jewels of Newport Beach: Marine & Coastal Wildlife canvas during the community art showcase this October.
From Crystal, a Western Gull documented after becoming entangled in fishing gear, to Peach Sapphire the Brown Pelican, sea stars, sea urchins, cormorants, and many other remarkable coastal species, every animal painted carried its own story. Participants learned about the important ecological roles these species play, the conservation challenges they increasingly face—including fishing gear entanglement, marine debris, warming ocean waters, harmful algal blooms, and recent marine wildlife starvation events observed along the California coast—and, most importantly, how every member of our community can help.
Rather than focusing only on the challenges, the program emphasized hope and action. Guests discovered simple but impactful ways they can help protect wildlife, from properly disposing of fishing line and reducing plastic pollution to giving resting marine mammals and seabirds the space they need and reporting injured wildlife. Participants also received Wildlife Jewels' Emergency Wildlife Reporting Guide, providing practical information on recognizing wildlife in distress, who to contact, and how timely reporting can help improve rescue outcomes for injured coastal wildlife.
By connecting the beauty of these remarkable animals with the realities they face in the wild, Wildlife Jewels strives to inspire a deeper appreciation for our coastal ecosystems and empower communities to protect wildlife through education, science, rescue support, community engagement, and the arts.
With a deeper appreciation for the wildlife living just beyond the shoreline, participants picked up their paintbrushes to become part of the story themselves.
A highlight of the afternoon was a special guided tour of Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory, where participants explored the laboratory, learned about its rich history of marine research, viewed fascinating marine specimens, and discovered how scientific research continues to deepen our understanding of the coastal ecosystems that inspire Wildlife Jewels' work. Experiencing art and science together in such a remarkable waterfront setting created an unforgettable experience for participants of all ages.
Wildlife Jewels extends our gratitude to the wonderful team at Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory for graciously hosting this special event, warmly welcoming our community, sharing their expertise through an engaging laboratory tour, and helping create such an inspiring afternoon. Their hospitality, and dedication to marine science provided the perfect setting to connect people with the ocean through creativity, discovery, and conservation.
We are thankful to every participant, volunteer, and supporter whose enthusiasm, curiosity, creativity, and passion for wildlife brought this event to life. Watching families, students, artists, scientists, and community members learn together, paint together, and share conversations about wildlife conservation beautifully reflected Wildlife Jewels' mission of inspiring and empowering communities to protect wildlife through education, science, technology, rescue support, community engagement, and the arts.
The Story Continues
The collaborative artwork created during this event is only the beginning of its journey.
The paintings created at Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory will return during Wildlife Jewels' The Art of Newport Beach Wildlife event on August 13 as part of Newport Beach Art Week, where returning and new participants will have the opportunity to continue painting, refine details, and help complete these collaborative community masterpieces together.
The completed collection—including the Jewels of Newport Beach: Marine & Coastal Wildlife collaborative canvas and the Paint for Wildlife mixed-media artwork created by community participants—will then be unveiled during Wildlife Jewels' community art showcase this October, celebrating both the creativity of our community and the remarkable wildlife that inspired every brushstroke.
We hope everyone who joined us at Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory will return to help add the finishing touches and watch these collaborative works continue to evolve.
Coming Next: Pollinators & Native Plants
Our next The Art of Newport Beach Wildlife community art experience will celebrate the butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, and native plants that help sustain Newport Beach's coastal ecosystems.
Hosted at the beautiful Back Bay Science Center Native Garden, participants will create another collaborative artwork while discovering the essential role pollinators play in supporting healthy habitats for wildlife.
Free • All ages welcome • No art experience required
Registration is required as space is limited.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this unforgettable afternoon overlooking Newport Harbor. Together, we experienced how art can tell wildlife stories, science can deepen understanding, and community can inspire hope. Every brushstroke, every conversation, every wildlife story shared, and every person empowered to help protect wildlife brings us one step closer to a future where people and nature thrive together.