On the morning of March 8th, international artist Rogest, a.k.a. Ron Steven, brought an oversized canvas into Science World so that British Columbia's newest Guinness World Record-breaking attempt could commence.

All of the Lower Mainland was invited to take part in this endeavor to break the current Guinness World Record which was originally set in 1998. The painting from the original world record, "A Little Dab of Texas", was designed by Jim Campbell of Brenham, Texas, USA and was painted by 25,297 people over a period of 3 years and 7 months.

The attempt to break this record at Science World in Vancouver, began on March 8th and ran until March 21st. At press time, the final results of the challenge undertaken by Rogest and Science World were still pending. The period between March 8th and March 21st encompassed Spring Break so that all schoolchildren had the chance to come down and take part.

The painting itself showed a vivid underwater seascape with brilliantly coloured marine creatures, all created with Rogest's unique pointillistic style of painting, which has been heavily influenced by aboriginal dot painting. By involving so many people in the 16-day challenge, the mission was to have each and every participant feel as though they had made a contribution to raising awareness for the preservation of marine life, while at the same time breaking a record.

With Rogest's focus on the kids and their education, the study and concepts of environmental knowledge and the aim of bringing visual arts to life were integral in this project. The challenge was designed to not only increase awareness for our endangered marine life, but also to generate a larger sense of community with a project that involved a large number of people working towards one common goal.

While he wasn't present for the entire duration, Rogest spent his time at Science World instructing visitors and providing guidance in order to make the painting a reality. By working on a personal level with the participants, Rogest was able to share his own thoughts and knowledge of our world's oceans. Rogest is known for painting underwater critters from the thousands of exceptional dives he has experienced worldwide.

Ron says the project would definitely have not been possible without the most generous donation of all the art supplies for the event and the painting. "Thank you Opus!"

Rogest's canvas will be displayed in the corridor leading to Science World's newly renovated Eureka! Gallery. Science World is located at 1455 Quebec Street in Vancouver. For more information, please contact Science World at 604-443-7443.

Contributed by Shannon Sutton
www.rogest.com