Incorporating the artwork of over 10,000 Michigan children, the murals depict a Wyoming Toad and an Eastern Tiger Salamander.  The murals were designed by nationally renowned mosaic artist Roy Feinson, who also created mosaic murals for Disneyland’s 50th anniversary and the 2008 Grammy Awards. 

More than 2,400 school children from Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties leapt at the opportunity earlier this year to communicate the importance of amphibians in the Youth Art Competition.  Students expressed their interpretations of Michigan frogs, toads and salamanders, as well as images of amphibian residents at the Detroit Zoo. 

All works submitted in the Youth Art Competition are represented in the mosaic murals, which are on display through December 31 at the Zoo’s National Amphibian Conservation Center and at the Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  In addition, Feinson incorporated artwork by Michigan students from Project S.N.A.P.’s database.  For more information on Project S.N.A.P., visit www.projectsnap.org. 

Year of the Frog is a global public awareness campaign to focus attention on endangered amphibians and the critical work being done by zoos and aquariums to save them.  The Detroit Zoological Society is supporting the worldwide initiative with special events, fundraising activities, educational opportunities and community outreach efforts throughout the year.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October (open at 9:30 a.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day) – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.  Admission is $11 for adults 13 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
###