PARADISE - Cunneen Hackett Arts Center

World renowned photographer Ian Hutton, who is the curator of the Lord Howe Island Museum,  and award-winning oil artist Selva Ozelli from the Hudson Valley teamed up to bring a taste of Lord Howe Island Group to the Cunneen Hackett Arts Center with their art show titled “Paradise.”

Lord Howe Island Group (LHIG), an Australian island group in the Tasman Sea east of Port Macquarie, is one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific and an iconic tourist destination.

The Lord Howe Island Group was inscribed on the World Heritage Register in 1982 under the United Nations' World Heritage Convention in recognition of its superlative natural phenomena and its rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity as an outstanding example of an island ecosystem developed from submarine volcanic origin containing a unique biota of plants and animals, as well as the world’s most southerly true coral reef. It is an area of spectacular and scenic landscapes encapsulated within a small land area. It provides important breeding grounds for colonies of seabirds as well as a significant natural habitat for the conservation of threatened species.

Last summer, the highest global sea surface temperatures on record were observed in waters in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP). Marine “heat stress” builds up over time when water temperatures are warmer than average, resulting in coral bleaching.

Ian captured the raw beauty of marine life, including in the LHIMP, birds, and plants of the island, with his photography published in over 12 books and field guides on Lord Howe Island. Ian explains 

"living on Lord Howe Island is like living inside a David Attenborough documentary. From the beginning, I set out to emulate the great naturalist, exploring and documenting the Island’s diverse habitats, marine life, plants, birds, and weather patterns. As there is little I enjoy more than the chance to share my passion for the island and its environment with others,  I have led innumerable private tours, day walks, and multi-day trips, Weed Eco Tours, sharing my passions and knowledge of the island’s natural history with visitors to Lord Howe Island. I hope you enjoy a taste of Paradise captured in this art show.”

See more of Ian Hutton's work here.

Selva Ozelli is an award-winning Hudson Valley-based artist whose paintings have been acknowledged in 19 international art contests and exhibited in over 120 art shows by numerous museums, the United Nations, ministries, and NGOs across the world. She has been painting reefs since 2020 for various museums, including Lord Howe Island Museum, CSH Whaling Museum, Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change and others since Coral reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion and are a source for food and new medicines.

Selva explains, 

“my art work in this area was influenced by the efforts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has more than 30 offices, such as the Coral Reef Conservation Program and Coral Reef Watch, working to understand and protect coral reefs. NOAA has also developed hundreds of partnerships in support of this work at local, regional, and international scales with groups like the United States Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) and the International Coral Reef Initiative offsite link (ICRI), which work to protect and restore coral reefs in the U.S. and globally.”

Selva is a member of the Climate Heritage Network, Global Resilience Partnership, and an ambassador to Oceanic Global. Her artwork has been cataloged by the United Nations, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, and the Berlin University of Art as part of the project titled Climate Summit Art. Art and Political Event, 1972 – 2022.  Her three art shows Reef Dwellers, Orcas & Reefs, and Healing Water,s are endorsed by UNESCO OCEAN DECADE.