A Work of Art: Jen MaHarry and Freeing Captive Orcas

By Mark J. Palmer

You likely do not recognize the name Jennifer MaHarry.

But you do know her art.

Jen designed the iconic Free Willy film poster, featuring the fictional orca Willy’s unforgettable leap to freedom in the movie’s exhilarating climax.

Most everybody recognizes this image today, whether or not they’ve seen Free Willy.

(By the way, this is the 30^th anniversary of the Free Willy film, and it is available now for streaming on Amazon Prime as well as on DVD and Blu-ray.)

In addition to her professional design and fine art photography career, Jen has volunteered for fifteen years for the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute, using her talents to create wonderful images for IMMP’s campaigns to safeguard ocean life.

So, when IMMP started developing our new campaign to encourage SeaWorld to transfer the last captive orcas from confining concrete tanks to spacious seaside sanctuaries, we naturally asked Jen for her help in preparing a new poster/t-shirt design for the campaign.

Jen’s design is indeed a spectacular piece, supporting IMMP’s efforts to free orcas from small tanks and to retire them to seaside sanctuaries.

Sanctuaries are netted coves, which are bigger, more natural, and stimulating enclosures that allow orcas to interact with the environment in ways that tanks in aquariums are unable to fulfill. Furthermore, the orcas in a sanctuary would no longer have to perform tricks to obtain food. Veterinary care for their lifetimes would be provided, and the orcas could just be orcas instead of exploited circus performers.

Jen’s new poster design, reminiscent of the buoyant feeling from her original Free Willy poster, is featured on our new organic cotton t-shirts.

Jen also created numerous designs, and we’ve gathered together our eight favorites for a notecard set. Both t-shirt and notecards are available exclusively to IMMP donors.

There are countless people like Jen who, through the years, have used their talents to help IMMP help orcas and other marine mammals.

A special thanks goes out to Jen for combining her artistic talents with her passion for wildlife advocacy to help orcas and other marine mammals.

For more of Jen’s and Chalkley’s art, go to their respective websites:

Jennifer MaHarry https://jennifermaharry.com

Chalkley Calderwood https://www.chalkleystudios.com/

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Please donate today!

To thank you for your critical support to help end orca captivity and to retire performing orcas to seaside sanctuaries...

Two NEW Premium Gifts: designed by Jen MaHarry, creator of the original Free Willy movie poster, and inspired by the 30th Anniversary of the film, Free Willy.

Donate $100+, +, or become a $10+ sustaining monthly donor, and opt to receive our Set Them Free organic cotton t-shirt with gorgeous orca graphic.

Donate $50+ and opt to receive a Set Them Free notecard set with eight different Jen MaHarry designs. Cards are blank inside. Envelopes included.

Note: Due to a major increase in international shipping rates, we regrettably can no longer mail premium gifts outside the US.

These gifts are available only to you and other IMMP supporters.

Set Them Free! Thanks for donating generously!