Tampa, Fla. - Award-Winning Coast Guard Auxiliary Artist Trades Canvas For Concrete To Promote Safe Boating During Hyde Tampa’s “Chalk Walk”

Dottie Riley, an award-winning artist and member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, traded canvas for concrete to promote safe boating during the March 18-20 Chalk Walk, a free community event presented by Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts in Hyde Park Village, Tampa, Florida. Riley used chalk - and the sidewalk - to create the “Wear It,” image, the National Safe Boating Council campaign logo promoting life jacket wear.

Zach Lessin, member of Flotilla 79 Tampa brings boating safety information, especially the importance of wearing a life jacket, next to the sidewalk art being completed by Flotilla 79 member, Dottie Riley. (Photo by Dottie Riley)

Riley is a nine-year member of Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 79 in South Tampa. She is a regular contributor to the Coast Guard’s Fine Art Program, a nationwide endeavor that uses fine art as an outreach tool to educate Americans about the U. S. Coast Guard. Through displays at museums, galleries and other venues, Coast Guard art relates the story of the service's heroes and history and captures the daily missions of the Coast Guard’s 42,000 active duty men and women. The artwork is displayed in offices of members of Congress, government officials and at Coast Guard posts throughout the country.

Riley’s recent works accepted into the Coast Guard Art program include: “Operation Bay Sentinel,” a 17”x 21” watercolor (2008), “Night Launch,” a 24”x18” oil painting (2009) and “You Make Me Smile: The Coast Guard In Haiti,” an 18”x24” oil painting accepted into the 2011 collection. “Night Launch” depicts a Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel on patrol off Cape Canaveral during a space shuttle launch. Acceptance of the “Night Launch” piece achieved one of Riley’s personal goals of getting a painting of an Auxiliary vessel as part of the collection.

Dottie Riley, a member of Flotilla 79 Tampa, painted the National Safe Boating Council “Wear It!” campaign logo on the sidewalk during Tampa’s Chalk Walk. (Photo by Zach Lessin)

Riley spent approximately six hours on Friday, March 18 and Saturday March 19 completing the sidewalk art. On Saturday and Sunday, March 20, members of Flotilla 79 staffed a boating safety information booth offering boating safety courses and information about the Coast Guard Auxiliary to festivalgoers. Zach Lessin, Flotilla Staff Officer-Vessel Examination, took the opportunity one-step further by bringing the display from the booth to the sidewalk next to Riley as she completed the art. This provided the opportunity to deliver additional boating safety information to festivalgoers who did not walk by the Auxiliary booth.

Flotilla 79 members (from left) Barry Giacobbe, Ernie Costa, Cinda Hitchcock and Heleyde Aponte pose with a performer in the information booth set up during Tampa’s Chalk Walk. (Photo by Dottie Riley)

Other members of Flotilla 79 who participated in this event include Barry Giacobbe, Flotilla Staff Officer-Public Education, Cinda Hitchcock, Flotilla Staff Officer-Program Visitor, Heleyde Aponte, Flotilla Staff Officer-Human Resources and new member, Ernie Costa. This year’s festival was well attended due to the extremely pleasant weekend weather, and the somewhat unusual venue permitted members to reach a population rich with boaters and individuals receptive to volunteer opportunities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

~efl 03-25-11