Yellowfin Travels to the East Coast After Oil Spill
For the last few years, Yellowfin Artist, Larry Rackley has been traveling the country and Central America showcasing his mixed media artwork. Rackley, a resident of Birmingham, AL spent much of that time in Orange Beach, AL. Living in Orange Beach during the summer months, he was able to travel the entire Gulf Coast selling his work at every major fishing tournament and boat show. That all changed on April 20, 2010.
The Gulf Coast Oil Spill is the largest environmental disaster ever recorded. In the days that have passed, the spill has not only reeked havoc on all life in the waters of the Gulf, but it has devastated the lives of many of the people who live and work there. "Yellowfin Gallery and Yellowfin Unlimited have generated 80% of our revenue along the Gulf Coast over the past few years.'" Rackley said. "Now we can't travel there. All of the tournaments are being cancelled. Tourism is suffering. People in the gulf can't afford to buy art or clothing. And it's not because of the recession. It's because they're losing their jobs due to the spill," he continued.
Rackley isn't slowing down though. He is turning a negative into a positive, and finding new opportunities. "We are going to start traveling the East Coast. We attended the Carolina Billfish Classic last week, and we plan to attend many more events on the East Coast this summer," he said. "We are not going to roll over. We are going to work thought it."
Larry and those at Yellowfin haven't forgotten about the Gulf Coast. "We will be traveling all over in the next few years, but the Gulf is our home. We will do whatever we can to ensure that life is brought back to the region." As an avid fisherman and outdoorsman himself, Rackley is a strong supporter of the CCA (Coastal Conservation Association), The Billfish Foundation, and Ducks Unlimited, and has raised a significant amount of money through his art as well as donations. "I believe in these organizations. They do tremendous work, and I would encourage anyone to find out more about them and lend thier support," Rackley said.
