Emily McCulliss Littleton, Colorado
What is Art for you?
Art is an act of observation, an universal language. A way of taking up space in the world with more clarity, more intention. It's an expression without language, meaning carried through a medium instead of words. Palette, texture, light. The things that land before the mind catches up. There is a visceral quality that needs no explanation. Art can be a form of solitary expression or a tool of community building.
What is chocolate to you?
Chocolate is a ritual, A deliberate pause. There is something in real chocolate that triggers something: comfort, indulgence, the quiet luxury of a moment that belongs only to you. It is a universal act of care, whether you're giving it or keeping it for yourself.
What inspires you, and this piece in particular?
I'm a global nature photographer and expedition guide whose work spans all seven continents—from polar bears in the Arctic to snow leopards in Mongolia, from Kenyan savannas to Hawaii's pristine waters. What inspires me is connecting people to wild places in ways that matter—to inspire your today to change your tomorrow.
One project is especially close to my heart: the North Pacific humpback whale migration. Every winter, these whales travel 3,000 miles to Maui's sanctuary waters, and I get to document their complete story—from aerial perspectives showing how they use the channel, to surface photography capturing behaviors, to underwater moments most never witness.
Connect. Educate. Inspire.
Imagine seeing Maui's winter season from above, on, and below the water - the possibility of humpback whales giving birth, mothers nursing their young, competitive mating pods, and breaching giants.
Moments so extraordinary they transform how you see the ocean. How you understand connection. How you protect it.
This piece captures one of those pivotal moments. I founded Maui Whales & Ocean Tales to document these whales from perspectives most people never witness: aerial, surface, and underwater. It's about answering the questions everyone has when they're out on the water: What are they doing down there? Why do they travel 3,000 miles to give birth here? What does this behavior mean?
Your support directly determines how many days on the water are possible—capturing the behaviors that reveal why Maui's waters are irreplaceable. Competitive pods moving through the channel, mothers nursing newborn calves, breaching juveniles, intimate communication. From drone footage showing how whales use the 'Au'au Channel, to surface photography capturing social interactions, to underwater documentation of rarely-witnessed moments, every image tells part of this extraordinary story.
My work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal and been exhibited internationally, but this project is different. It's not just about capturing beauty- it's about creating educational resources that serve Maui's community and inspire ocean stewardship worldwide. When you truly understand what's happening beneath the ocean, you don't just admire it, your connected to it.
Funding goes directly to support documentation days, expert interviews with marine biologists, watermen, and ocean advocates, educational content for schools, conservation impact, and scientific data.
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ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE ARTIST
CLICK TO ENLARGE
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE ARTIST