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Savannah Morning News
Islands Closeup
Thursday, February 16, 2006
18th year, Issue 15
Bert
the ‘Tybee Tourist’ makes debut for tour
With soulmate Myrtle, he
will be an ambassador
representing the island’s turtles on parade.
By
Louise Shannon-Martin
For
the Closeup
LouIse Shannon-Martin/For the Closeup
Bert’s
sponsors and creators gather with the turtle himself. Left to right,
they include Shell Solomon, Nancy Solomon, Joy Flynn and Myke Knutson.
He sat covered in a tarp along U.S. 80 at the beginning of Butler Avenue, awaiting his debut into the world of the Tybee Turtle Tour on Jan. 31.
A car across the way kept a steady beam on a sign placed in front: “Where’s Bert?”
Islanders who had been anxiously awaiting the unveiling of the tour’s second turtle gathered at the information center next to Solomon’s Properties.
At around 7 p.m., dozens of camera flashes captured the moment as Bert the Tybee Tourist was unveiled to ooh’s and aah’s.
Bert was chosen out of dozens of submissions to be the Tybee Arts Association’s next ambassador representing the turtles on parade.
Joy Flynn, a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and mural artist Myke Knutson came up with the concept featuring a pair of turtle tourists, ‘Bert & Myrtle,’ as their theme for the tour.
They had submitted preliminary drawings and then presented the finished pieces to the association in December. Bert immediately found a sponsor, Shell Solomon of Solomon Properties. On the night of Bert’s unveiling, the association learned that Myrtle had found one as well.
“Bobby Chu and Company across the street is going to sponsor Myrtle,” Solomon announced. “She is going to sit in front of Chu’s store across from her partner Bert.”
Solomon chose the concept of Bert “because it was cool,” he said. “He wasn’t the most spectacular ‘artsy’ turtle, but he represents all that is Tybee, the typical tourist.”
Bert was erected along side a larger-than life bench donated by Earth and Stone, so the real tourists can come along and have their photo taken with him — or simply sit and watch the people go by.
Myrtle will be joining him soon.
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