Update: We have a winner! The Tami Durkee with The Pear Tree located in Cocoa Village, Florida!

The Backstory:
A few months ago my creative director came into my office and said, “Just wanted to warn you that you may be asked to make a mermaid.” Not a typical conversation around the IMAX office, but in my off hours I create figurative sculptures which I exhibit and sell through galleries and artist representatives. So, while it may not have been a “normal” thing to hear around the office, it wasn’t completely out of thin air.

One of our new trends for the January market season is called Splash, and our international buyer, had the idea of creating a life-sized mermaid for our Atlanta window display… She had me at “life-sized”. I quickly agreed to the project, started planning, and from there the project blossomed into two mermaids – one for Atlanta and one for Las Vegas.

The Process:
My sculptures are made from body casts. I use plaster gauze – the same material the doctor used on you when you broke your arm as a kid – to create the form of the figure. The form is filled with expanding foam, creating a lightweight, but solid core. I then add on to the piece using a variety of mediums, such as textiles, driftwood, bones, sawdust, earth and paint, giving each piece a unique identity.

Over the summer we created the graphic direction for marketing the Splash trend. It is a very bright and enthusiastic design, illustrated with zen doodle style fish, starfish, sand dollars, and, of course, a mermaid tail! So the mermaids were the perfect unique way to highlight the theme. I am hopeful that all of the January market attendees will take the time to go and see my creations!

The Vision:
The first mermaid (for Atlanta) is complete now, and I am working on the Las Vegas piece. The biggest question I had when I took on this project was, what will happen to the pieces after market is over? Well, Hurricane Sandy gave us an answer. We decided to partner with the Red Cross in their Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. For every $20 donated, you will receive a chance to win this stunning original life-sized mermaid sculpture, and IMAX will contribute matching donations. This is such an exciting effort for us here at IMAX, as we all know people who were affected by the storm.

I hope that if you make it to Atlanta or Las Vegas you will come and see the mermaids. You will find the Atlanta mermaid in our window display on the 11th floor of the Atlanta Gift Mart, Building 2.

Donate Online: Donate online at www.imaxcorp.com/mermaid/

Donate in the Atlanta and Las Vegas Showrooms: Donations are being collected in the Atlanta - AGM Building 2, Suite 1100 and Las Vegas - World Market Center A429.