Pelicans in Paradise

"Press"ton Pelican in front of the Pensacola News Journal building on Romana Street

Pelicans in Paradise is a public art project organized by the Pensacola News Journal in which pelican statues of reinforced fiberglass are decorated by various artists, selected by the statues' sponsors, and placed at various outdoor locations around the downtown Pensacola area.

Pelicans in Paradise was inspired by the similar CowParade project, which Pensacola News Journal president & publisher Denise Ivey witnessed during a 2002 trip to Portland, Oregon. Each fiberglass pelican is nearly 5 feet tall and weighs about 70 pounds; each pelican sits on a 48 inch by 40 inch, 450-pound cement "perch."

A total of 41 pelicans have been commissioned for the project: the initial project included twenty-one pelicans launched between June 23-July 2, 2004, followed by a "Second Flight" between November 15-19, and five more in Spring 2005. One remains unfinished. On May 9, 2005, the pelicans began to be removed, cleaned and returned to their owners/sponsors. Many have remained in the same place.

All pelican designs have been reproduced in the form of scale replicas, which are available for purchase from the Pensacola News Journal. Other Pelicans in Paradise products include T-shirts, posters and magnets. All proceeds from sponsorship and merchandise go to benefit the News Journal's Newspapers in Education literacy program.

Gallery of Pelicans

Five Flags
Designer: Damon Bowie
Artist: Charles Bendzans
Sponsor: Pensacola News Journal
Spirit Catcher
Designer: Washington Ledesma
Sponsor:Pensacola News Journal
Buck
Designer: Larry Paulsen
Sponsor: Wachovia Bank
Pensacola is a Paradise
Designer: Valerie Aune
Sponsor:Cox Communications
Blue Angels 1
Sponsor:Naval Aviation Museum Foundation
Dr. Peli-Pain
Designer: Evan Levin
Sponsor: Dr. Kurt A. Krueger of Pain Consultants of West Florida
Emerald Coast
Designer: Patsy Pennington
Sponsor:Shirley Mertins
Patriot
Designer: Patti Russell
Sponsor: Gulf Power
Dr. SurgiCan
Designer: Chip Spirson
Sponsor:Baptist Health Care
Pelikini
Designer: Sherry Barnett
Sponsor: Gwen Appelquist of Coldwell Banker JME Realty
Pelican Brief(s)
Designer: Sherry Barnett
Sponsor: Clark Partington Hart Larry Bond & Stackhouse
The Godfeather
Designer: Evan Levin
Sponsor: Portofino Island Resort
Golden Peli-Triever
Designer: Lydia Davis
Sponsor: Dee and Kurt Krueger
Segrado Pelicano
Designer: Joseph A. Hobbs
Sponsor: Sacred Heart Health System
Community Spirit
Designer: Larry Paulsen
Sponsor: Northwest Florida Blood Center
The Consuming Pelican
Designer: Felic Fussner
Ron Stewart
Sponsor: Ken and Jackie Andrews
Homer
Designer: Larry Paulsen
Sponsor:Pensacola Pelicans
Don Tristan de Pelican
Designer: Thomas Jacob Cawthon (armor)
Artists: Joan and Ellis Bullock, Sarah Turner
Sponsor: E.W. Bullock Associates
Flossie
Designer: Evan Levin
Sponsor: Stu Bonnin
Natural Pelican
Designer: Ron Stewart
Sponsor: Santa Rosa Medical Center
Mermaids in Paradise
Designer: Quenby Mitchell
Sponsor: J-J Properties of Pensacola
"Press"ton
Designer: Marcia Moritz
Sponsor: Pensacola News Journal
Peli-Queen Elizabeak I
Designer: Diane Goeller
Sponsor: Trinity Collection Jewelry
Patriotic Pappy
Designer: Bill Brown
Sponsor: Dr. Max and Patty Kattner
Dewey D. Pelican
Designer: Suzanne Robbert
Sponsor: Friends of the Pensacola Public Library
Pelvis
Designer: Patsy Pennington
Sponsor: AmSouth Bank
Azalican
Designer: Toni New
Sponsor: STOA/Carlos + Law Architects
Reaching Beyond the Wing
Designer: Lydia Davis
Sponsor: Roy Jones, Jr.
Robo Pelican
Designer: Charles Kunze
Sponsor: Institute for Human and Machine Cognition
Mr. Peliclean
Designer: Chip Spirson
Sponsor: Thompson-Briggs Developers
E Pelicus Unum
Designer: Dr. Steve Zieman
Sponsor: John S. Carr, Neal Nash, [Eric Nickelsen]], Ed Chadbourne, Jr. and Ronald Swaine of Nature Walk
Pelican Blues
Designer: Patti Russell
Sponsor: Network Telephone
Perdi Pelican
Designer: Valerie Aune
Sponsor: Pointe South Real Estate
Smilin' Psychedelican
Designer: Quenby Mitchell
Sponsor: Woodfin Cabassa Orthodontics
Peg Leg Pete
Designer: Marcia Moritz
Sherry Barnett
Sponsor: Marcus and Karla Schmitz
Jeremiah Pelican Lighthouse Keeper
Designer: Gordon Levi
Sponsor: Jim and Norma Johnson
PeliJustice
Designer: Craig Granger
Sponsor: Ezra Friedlander
El Perdido Pelicano
Designer: Ron Roland
Sponsor: WCI Communities
Grandpa-elican
Designer: Diane Goeller
Sponsor: Delta Health Group
Tail of Two Cities
Designer: Riece Walton
Sponsor: Kerrigan Estess Rankin McLeod and Thompson, LLP
Paper Dottie
Designer: Linda McNeill
Sponsor: International Paper Company

2008 Pelican Location map (incomplete)

Finding the new locations of the pelicans has proven to be a challenge. Since the program's end in 2005, the pelican statues were returned to the original sponsors or sold to the highest bidder. Sadly, some were vandalized or stolen and will never be relocated.

Click on green marker for 2008 pelican photo: <iframe width="600" height="500" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=106183886709132694763.000451557f4d84d8137ce&hl=en&ie=UTF8&s=AARTsJr8HF23EuIjvSQlfjFbtfvT2iPtQQ&ll=30.430914,-87.266464&spn=0.296027,0.411987&z=11&output=embed"></iframe>
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=106183886709132694763.000451557f4d84d8137ce&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=30.430914,-87.266464&spn=0.296027,0.411987&z=11&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a> Any user who is interested in contributing to this map is strongly urged to contact the map author.

Original Pelican Locations (map inaccurate)

Finding the pelicans became a popular scavenger hunt during the program's run. Incomplete map below. See also: Pelican Map and PDF <googlemap lat="30.412928" lon="-87.215223" type="map" zoom="16" width="650">

30.411728, -87.21252,