Artistic interpretations of water include sculptures, paintings, and innovative designs

A-MAZE-ING Water features elements of the New York Seascape –the aquarium’s conservation program working to preserve local waters

Exhibits open through Sunday, Sept. 9

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Aug. 2, 2012 – The Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is hosting a summer art installation called A-MAZE-ING WATER: An Artist’s Perspective. The exhibition will be open through Sunday, Sept. 9.

The exhibition features the artwork of six accomplished artists and pays homage to the importance of water to the planet. It also gives tribute to the water that surrounds the aquarium and New York City.

The works are located in the aquarium’s Ocean View Room and are intended to raise awareness about the importance of water. Visitors will learn to appreciate the beauty and power of water as they observe the sculptures, paintings and designs.

The artists use a variety of mediums in their art. Children will be engaged with a range of interactive experiences as they move through a kelp forest, listen to the sounds of the ocean, and watch an educational video.

A-MAZE-ING WATER: An Artist’s Perspective is open daily. Works on display include:

Sea of Words – By Christine Destrempes –This public-participation installation focuses on the diminishing quantity of clean water. It features a 20-foot wave constructed from paper with messages of memories and thoughts about water contributed by visitors to the aquarium.

Ocean State of Mind – By Ginger Andro and Chuck Glicksman – This multi-sensory installation uses video projections, mirrored sculpture, sound and an original blended scent to create a personalized oceanic experience. .

Water Course II - By Elaine Lorenz - Inspired by natural rock sculptures such as caves, canyons, and streambeds, this sculpture illustrates the carving effects that water produces on the surface of the earth.

Élan Vital – By Elaine Lorenz – This abstract sculpture represents three animals participating in an exuberant exchange at the water’s edge. The piece sheds light on the importance of water and the need to conserve and maintain the health of our waterways.

Underwater Forest II – By Jae Hi Ahn - Created and repurposed from common industrial materials, this installation represents images that occur naturally in underwater environments and is a tribute to the importance and wonders of marine life.

Spectral Reservoir – By Liz Phillips - This sound and wave sculpture uses sound to create a wave-like movement and art in water. As the viewer moves around the art, the haromonic sounds and its effects on the water changes the patterns.

Global Climate Change, Salt & Sea, and Red Tide – By Sarah Barker – These three paintings are abstract representations of significant changes that occur in water environments as a result of the actions of humankind and of nature.

WCS’s expansive Global Marine Program conducts conservation efforts in 20 countries and all four oceans to help save threatened and endangered species. Most recently, WCS launched the New York Seascape, a local conservation program part of WCS’s A SEA CHANGE initiative, a 10-year plan to revitalize the aquarium and ignite the rebirth of Coney Island. An additional component to A SEA CHANGE includes construction of the Ocean Wonders: Sharks! Exhibit, scheduled to break ground later this year.

More information about the New York Aquarium’s A-MAZE-ING Water is available at www.nyaquarium.com.

Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium opens every day of the year at 10am, and closing times vary seasonally. Admission is $14.95 for adults, $10.95 for children ages 3-12 and $11.95 for senior citizens (65 and older); children under 3 years of age are admitted free. Fridays after 3pm, admission is by suggested donation. The Aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other Aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit and show support for the New York Aquarium, Brooklyn's most heavily attended attraction and a beloved part of the City of New York.

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.