On Sept. 23, the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series, welcomed marine wildlife artist and conservationist Guy Harvey to talk to students and faculty about his success and recent projects.
Harvey is recognized for his murals at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport and at NSU’s Don Taft University Center. He is also famous for his dynamic game fish T-shirt designs.
Before Harvey began his presentation, Preston Jones, dean of the Huizenga School, introduced him and announced that Sept. 23 would be designated Guy Harvey Day.
“You may already know that there are over 26,000 students here at NSU. You may also know that there are 485 species of sharks including the Mako shark, our mascot,” Jones said. “But something that you will definitely know after this presentation is that there is only one Guy Harvey.”
During his speech, Harvey spoke about times when he and his team have failed but found the strength to recover.
“Whenever you fall down, pick yourself back up,” Harvey said.
Eric Streimer, sophomore business and administration major, attended the discussion and said he was moved by Harvey’s opening statement: “I am an artist and a researcher first, and then I am a businessman.”
“I realized that it was never about making money for Harvey,” Streimer said.
Freshman marine biology major Amy Anfinrud also had a similar reaction to Harvey’s humility.
“I could see he was not after the money or fame,” Anfinrud said. “He just wants to do what he loves.”
Anfinrud said she felt a personal connection to Harvey.
“I am passionate about the ocean, I love doing science experiments, and I love photography. I hope to someday be a marine science researcher and photographer. I don’t care about how much I make; I just want to do what I love, and be successful at it, and Harvey really inspires me to do just that,” Anfinrud said.
Harvey’s love for the sea advanced him in his careers as an artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist and explorer. Growing up in Jamaica, Harvey spent his days fishing and diving with his father alongside the Island’s south coast. He became absorbed by marine life and expressed his passion by drawing pictures of the many different fish and sights he observed.
Harvey’s unique ability to recreate the underwater realm transformed him from a professor of marine biology to a wildlife artist and photographer. Harvey began his scholastic journey in scientific education, earning high honors in marine biology at Aberdeen University in Scotland in 1977. He continued his formal training at the University of West Indies, where he obtained a doctorate in fisheries management.
From there, his success rapidly increased. His pen and ink drawings were displayed throughout Jamaica and were highly celebrated. After that, he began painting full time and utilized his custom artwork for merchandise.
Harvey began to travel the world to learn about the behavior and activities of marine wildlife. In doing so, he became an avid scuba diver and skilled underwater photographer. He pioneered a technique of diving and photographing free-swimming billfish. The observations he witnessed throughout his diving expeditions helped him create the vivid details in his paintings, which contribute to the popularity of his work.
NSU’s Oceanographic Center and Harvey began their collaboration 15 years ago to create the Guy Harvey Research Institute, an organization dedicated to scientific research needed for effective conservation of the world’s wild fish. Harvey is the 2014 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Honoree for his contributions to NSU.
Harvey said he is a dedicated conservationist and continues to support “catch and release” fishing ethics for game fish around the world.
“Individuals have to start understanding the basic message of sustainability: you have to replace what you take,” he said.
Harvey recently started the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding leading scientists while they develop strategies for sensible fisheries management and educators.
“The foundation ensures that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a naturally balanced marine ecosystem where fish and other wildlife flourish,” he said.
Harvey’s most recent project was with Norwegian Cruise Line. He created a design for Norwegian Escape’s hull, which features an underwater scene of marine wildlife. Norwegian’s newest ship is Harvey’s largest canvas to date; 1,065 feet in length, his artwork spans from the hull to the aft and features two undersea scenes.
“I am deeply honored to be asked by Norwegian to paint the hull of the newest and largest ship in their fleet,” said Harvey. “The larger-than-life paintings of popular but endangered marine creatures in the Caribbean will heighten public awareness about marine life. The large-scale mural demonstrates the concern and respect that Norwegian, and I have for the marine environment through which this ship will travel over the years.”
Onboard Norwegian Escape, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation-produced documentaries about endangered marine wildlife will air on the guest stateroom TVs so that guests can be more educated on how they can help with ocean conservation. The ship is scheduled for its first sail in October 2015.
“People ask me all the time if I ever get tired of painting and the answer is always no. I’ve worked on my art 10 hours each day, every day, for as long as I can remember,” he said. “It’s tough but I won’t stop. I will always keep painting.”
Streimer said the most important concepts he learned from Harvey’s teachings were to enjoy your career and success will eventually come if you put the time and effort in the work.
“His passion comes from loving what he does every day. He is a testament to the saying, ‘If you enjoy your career, you will never work a day in your life,’” Streimer said.
Harvey concluded his discussion with advice for students.
“Try everything and don’t give up. Be strong. You have so many more resources available to you today than I did, especially with social media; just look at all the ways you can get your message out there to the world,” Harvey said. “In today’s era, everyone has a natural ability to get things done — so do it.”
