Save Moby!

Stearns Wharf’s Beloved Whale Mural Seeks Restoration Donations

Artist Beth Amine is working to restore her Moby Dick mural on Stearns Wharf | Photo: Screenshot of GoFundMe video

“In uncertain times, anything that generates joy and connection is a place to focus resources and attention,” said Beth Amine, painter of the famous Moby Dick whale mural on Stearns Wharf.

An iconic tourist location, the Moby Dick mural is one of the most photographed spots in Santa Barbara, with at least a few million people each year interacting with it, according to Amine.

“There are millions of people each year who visit the mural and express an innate sense of fun and joy. Families show up yearly. There have been engagements at the whale. There is a summer camp held every year where all of the kids have their picture taken at the whale,” said Amine, as she noted the whale’s significance as central to tourists and locals alike in Santa Barbara.

Amine was commissioned back in 1991 to paint the mural on the side of the Moby Dick Restaurant on Stearns Wharf. The mural burned down due to a fire during 1998, but Amine was commissioned to replicate the mural, and it has stood there ever since.

A combination of the sea air and wind conditions, as well as being touched by the hands of millions, have caused the mural to gradually erode and tarnish, demanding meticulous restoration efforts. The restoration funding has ceased, leaving Amine to grapple with how to maintain this tourism magnet.

She is seeking a $2,500 budget for the year to account for time and materials in restoring the 22-foot whale. There are 100 spots that need to be filled in with a brush that is a quarter of an inch big, as well as purchasing the newest technology of protective coatings and paint to prevent future damage to the mural.

Amine originally sought out help from Councilmember Mike Jordan, who is in charge of the Stearns Wharf Zone, but he said that it could take months for this proposition to reach a referendum. Amine therefore set out to fund this project herself via personal donations.

Amine has spent her entire livelihood creating interactive art. “I’ve always danced, written, thought, and done visual arts. It’s just meant for other people so that they feel their own essence and that there’s an expression of joy and spontaneity,” she said.

Artist Beth Amine is appealing to the community to help her restore her Moby Dick mural on Stearns Wharf | Photo: Screenshot of GoFundMe video

Having spent the last 54 years in Santa Barbara, Amine’s community contributions and impact are significant. She has done commissioned work for the Santa Barbara Zoo, the Unity Church, and various businesses and organizations, as well as personal projects. Her most prized personal project is leading Joyous Movement, a gentle movement program for seniors that brings joy to the elderly community.

“It’s about throwing a party, bringing out everyone’s joy and self expression. It has never been about me being the art star,” Amine says about her life philosophy.

Amine’s Moby Dick mural is based on the classic 1851 Herman Melville novel, which represents the historical tendency of humans hunting sperm whales as a major target, edging the species toward extinction. The new mural, as updated in 1998, seeks to represent a more conscious modern relationship between humans and nature. This is depicted through the ship reflecting in the whale’s eye.

“We’re looking to them; they’re looking to us. We are connected. We are nature. We’re not an adversary. We’re not entitled. We are here together as creatures in a united mix,” she said.

The whale mural has both strong physical and philosophical implications within Santa Barbara and the wider community. By showing support for this restoration project, the community can represent its emphasis on action and attention.

Amine has already raised $1,250 through the donations of friends on her GoFundMe page, but she still needs $1,250 to carry out the appropriate restoration practices. The ultimate goal of the GoFundMe is $7,500, which would cover three years of maintenance.

This minor financial contribution has the potential for much broader implications for locals and tourists of Santa Barbara alike. “The mural’s main gift is that it brings joy and interaction with our natural world. There’s a unification between human awareness and the natural world. And so, there’s no separation for that moment, and that’s very profound,” Amine said.

Visit gofundme.com/f/keep-beths-whale-mural-a-tourist-attraction to donate to the cause.