US Coast Guard Art Program

Gary Todoroff -- Photographer,

Coast Guard Art Program

From 1999 to 2008, I have been a photographer with the Coast Guard Art Program (CoGap). According to the CoGap web site (www.uscg.mil/cogap/ ), “The United States Coast Guard relies on the generosity and patriotism of amateur and professional artists to donate their time, talent and artwork to the Coast Guard's premier art collection. The Coast Guard currently houses more than a thousand pieces of original artwork in its collection.”

As the first photographer with the program, I have photographed our local Coast Guard Group Humboldt Bay extensively and documented Coast Guard Air and Boat stations form New England to Hawaii.

Local Group Humboldt projects include photos of personnel and training exercises, photo flights in Dolphin HH65 helicopters and HC-130's to document the Area of Responsibility for the Group, and photographs of CG cutters and boats, light houses, and air-to-air photos of other Coast Guard aircraft. Farther from home, I have documented CG operations Air Stations Barbers Point Oahu, Astoria, Sacramento, San Francisco, Atlantic City, Elizabeth City and Cape Code; Boat Stations Golden Gate, Tillamook (Oregon), Boston, and historic Hull, Mass; and a CG fly-in for the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

"The U.S. Coast Guard " The 2005 coffee table book, edited by Tom Beard, has many photos by Gary Todoroff including a fly-over of the 2003 Icarus Monument at Kitty Hawk. "Written by an outstanding team, including historians and distinguished active and retired officers including two Commandants, The Coast Guard has over 350 pages of riveting and informative text and stories of the 'Coastie" experience.' from Hugh Lauter Levin Associates web site. Check out the reviews at Amazon!