Shepard Fairey to Unveil Charity Mural at JCHS

On Monday, December 4th, Shepard Fairey will continue his relationship with The Perry J. Cohen Foundation, by visiting the school Perry was due to go to, Jupiter Community High School (JCHS), to paint a special mural.

The mural, which will feature elements of the environment, nature, wildlife, an iconic structure of Jupiter, and the portrait of Perry Cohen, will then be has donated in support of the Perry J. Cohen Wetlands Laboratory and the Jupiter Environmental Research Field Study Academy (JERFSA) program at JCHS.

Shepard gifted his work of art to be utilized in all present and future fundraising efforts by the foundation and the JERFSA program. Students from the schools Art, Graphic Design, Marketing and Agriculture classes are all involved in the fundraising efforts of the PJCWL Project.

The Perry J. Cohen Foundation was founded after 14-year old Perry went missing at sea on July 24, 2015. Perry was last seen leaving the Jupiter, Florida inlet on his good friend's boat. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) conducted one of the largest Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in modern day history to find Perry and his friend. After an exhaustive eight-day, 55,000 square nautical mile search, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) suspended their efforts at sunset on July 31, 2015. The Perry J. Cohen Foundation (PJCF) is a non-for-profit 501(c)(3), established by Perry's mother, Pamela Cohen, and his stepfather, Nicholas Korniloff.

The relationship between The Perry J. Cohen Foundation and Shepard Fairey is long established with Fairey creating a portrait of Perry last year for the Foundation.

In addition to his generous donation, Mr. Fairey has lent his time to judging a contest within the graphic arts class at the high school. The artwork selected by Mr. Fairey was created by JCHS JERFSA, AICE Photo & design student Peyton White and is being utilized on T-shirts that are being sold for $20.00 each to support the Wetlands Laboratory. Shirts can be purchased here.

Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston, S.C. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, R.I. In 1989, he created the "Andre the Giant has a Posse" sticker that transformed into the OBEY GIANT art campaign, with imagery that has changed the way people see art and the urban landscape. His work has evolved into an acclaimed body of art, which includes the 2008 "Hope" portrait of Barack Obama, found at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. After 28 years his stickers, guerilla street art presence and more than 85 public murals are recognizable worldwide. His works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and many others.

Fairey's largest-ever solo exhibition entitled "Damaged" is currently on view in Los Angeles and has seen record-breaking attendance. "Damaged" is up until December 17, 2017, at Library Street Collective, 1650 Naud Street, Los Angeles.

About the Perry J. Cohen Wetlands Laboratory: Perry Cohen was to attend JCHS where he was accepted into the JERFSA program. He was extremely excited to start the JERFSA program where he was going to pursue his passion to learn more about the environment, marine and wildlife. Tragically he went missing at sea just a few weeks prior to beginning of school in the late summer of 2015. The Perry J. Cohen Wetlands Laboratory at Jupiter High School is being created in partnership with the Palm Beach County School District. In addition, the foundation has established a continuing education component for high school students seeking an education in Marine Sciences (which Perry was) and have also created and started to fund the Perry J. Cohen Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. The Perry J. Cohen Foundation, through its fundraising initiatives and partnership with the Palm Beach County School District, will transform an existing water retention pond at the entrance of Jupiter Community High School into the Perry J. Cohen Wetlands Laboratory and habitat, which will be planted with materials ranging from the Coastal Upland Hammock to the Littoral Shelf. In addition, the design includes a bridge with stairs into the water, an ADA boardwalk into the deepest part of the pond. These hardscape elements will provide a platform from which students can access the water safely for taking water samples and teachers can conduct lessons. A nature trail with interpretive signage will identify the varied plant material installed from the five most recognized Eco Zones of Florida. The created wetlands habitat and working laboratory is backed by a certified AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) curriculum with instruction inside and outside the classroom under the name of the existing thirteen-year program at the school entitled the Jupiter Environmental and Research Field Studies Academy (JERFSA). The AICE program is considered an international curriculum and examination program that's modeled on the British pre-college curriculum and "A Level" exams. The life of the project, is estimated to exceed in existence for the next forty years. The PJCF is matching the first $100,000.00 in private or public funding and has already received grants from The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Miami Dolphins Foundation, Art Miami and the Telvi Family on behalf of the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. The goal is to have the Wetlands Laboratory fully operational buy 2019 the year Perry would have completed High School. Phase one The Outdoor Classroom/Mural Wall is 95% complete and was created with in-kind donations from WGI, Yukon Construction, SUPERMIX, RADISE, U.S. Paverscape, Taurus Const., SWS, Gomez Brothers Fence, & Tidey Coast.

About The Jupiter Environmental Research Field Study Academy (JERFSA): JERFSA provides special training in ecology, earth sciences, marine biology and water resources.?The academy equips high school students with the knowledge for environmental leadership and with academic and field skills that will open doors to environmental careers. Since 2004, JERFSA students have assisted in massive exotic plant removals, general tract clean-ups, the reintroduction of native plant species, an ongoing tidal wetlands construction project, tortoise burrow monitoring and planting of more than 10,000 mangrove seedlings. Students from (JERFSA) have contributed more than 12,000 hours of volunteer service since the inception of the program. Many of the program's graduates continue their educations and careers in the marine and environmental studies fields. The academy is making a difference in the lives of local high school students and they, in turn, are making a difference in their community.?The project has a full certified curriculum inside and outside the classroom that has been operational for years under the name "Environmental Research and Field Studies Academy" and it will educate tens of thousands of children throughout Palm Beach County over its lifetime.

About the Perry J. Cohen Foundation: Perry is a 14-year-old boy who went missing at sea on July 24, 2015. He was last seen leaving the Jupiter, Florida inlet on his good friend's boat. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) conducted one of the largest Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in modern day history to find Perry and his friend. After an exhaustive eight-day, 55,000 square nautical mile search, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) suspended their efforts at sunset on July 31, 2015. The Perry J. Cohen Foundation (PJCF) is a non-for-profit 501(c)(3), established by Perry's mother, Pamela Cohen, and his stepfather, Nicholas Korniloff. The Foundation was created to carry on Perry's legacy and support what he was most passionate about. The Foundation's portrait logo was created as a gift to our family and generously donated to the foundation by world renowned street artist and friend Shepard Fairey.

The PJCF is devoted to the advancement of:

· The Arts
· Environmental, Marine & Wildlife Education and Preservation
· Teenage Entrepreneurship
· Boating Safety Education

For more information, visit www.PJCF.org.

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