Breaching Whale Shows Up on Main Street

It all began with a thought….Two Schools of Thought, actually.

Artist John Scarola has been creating with wood for decades, but when an opportunity came in 2009 to create a public art piece for The Suffolk Center on the Holocaust, Diversity and Human Understanding’s exhibit, Embracing our Differences at The Long Island Museum, he jumped at the chance. Scarola explains, “I heard about the Embracing Our Differences exhibit and was interested in the assignment of creating a visual representation of equality. The idea for Two Schools of Thought actually came from an episode of Star Trek combined with mid-century wall decor in the form of wire fish.” The piece went on to earn Best in Show.

When Embracing our Differences ended, Two Schools of Thought moved to its current location in Cold Spring Harbor’s Billy Joel Park, appropriately overlooking the harbor. Fast forward to 2017, and another opportunity came along, this time for a NYSCA Decentralization Grant, administered by the Huntington Arts Council.

Marc Courtade, Huntington Arts Council’s Executive Director, explains the process, “Huntington Arts Council is proud to administer the DEC grants for Nassau and Suffolk counties, helping to foster the arts in our communities. Only the projects with the highest artistic merit and community service receive funding. The grants not only validate the artistic merit for the recipients, but allow them to further explore their creative visions and enrich the cultural landscape of the Long Island community. The panel thought John’s project was innovative in the use of materials and that the scale would be attractive to the community.”

So how did the sculpture end up at The Whaling Museum? “I felt the Museum was an obvious choice for my sculpture because I am passionate about environmental issues. The museum provides great programs in that direction. My goal is for the sculpture to provide visual impact to get passers-by to stop in and see all that the museum has to offer," explains Scarola. After fine-tuning the plans for the 15’ sculpture, he began the installation at The Whaling Museum in August. Having grown up in the area and on the waters of the North Shore, Scarola is happy to have two of his sculptures book-ending the town of Cold Spring Harbor.

Whaling Museum Executive Director Nomi Dayan concludes, "Great public art fosters a pride of place and enhances a community's identity. John's sculpture indeed accomplishes that as this mammoth whale celebrates our Island's deep ties with the sea. We are grateful to John and the Huntington Arts Council for enriching our space with this new focal point, a wonderful reflection of the exciting things going on in our museum building."

Breaching Whale will be officially dedicated to The Whaling Museum during its annual SeaFaire & Festival on September 29 from 11am -2pm. Scarola will be on hand for the ceremony, and will have his own “workshop” space offering demos of some simple wood working techniques. He, along with other crafters will also be offering items for sale at this family-friendly event. The Museum’s new exhibit, Heroines at the Helm, will also be officially opened with interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages.

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About The Whaling Museum

The Whaling Museum & Education Center is located at 301 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724 and specializes in the culture and history of our maritime heritage as illustrated by the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Industry of the 1850s. Winter hours are Tuesday-Friday from 12-4 and Saturday-Sunday from 11-5. Learn more at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org