Vladimir Kush: Kush was born in Russia, in a small one-story wooden house on the northern edge of Moscow, near the forest-park, Sokolniki. At the age of seven, concurrent with general education, Vladimir began to attend art school until late evening where he became acquainted with the works of great artists of the Renaissance, famous Impressionists, and Modern artists. Vladimir Kush entered the Moscow Higher Art and Craft School at age 17, but a year later he was conscripted. After six months of military training the unit commander thought it more appropriate to employ him exclusively for peaceful purposes, namely, painting propagandistic posters. After military service and graduating the Institute of Fine Arts, Vladimir painted portraits on Arbat Street to support his family during the hard times in Russia. In the year 1987, Vladimir began to take part in exhibitions organized by the Union of Artists. At a show in Coburg, Germany in 1990, nearly all his displayed paintings sold and after closing the exhibition, he parted ways with the two other Russian artists that had accompanied him. He flew to Los Angeles where 20 of his works were exhibited and began his “American Odyssey.” In Los Angeles, Kush worked in a small, rented home garage, but was unable to find a place to display his paintings. He earned money by drawing portraits on the Santa Monica pier and later moved to Hawaii. A dealer from France noticed the originality of the work and organized an exhibition in Hong Kong in 1993 at the Schoeni Art Gallery. Success surpassed all expectations. Kush then published his first album in Moscow and his work on a huge panel in the Mandarin Hotel was featured on television. In 1993, Kush painted several panels featuring the prehistoric whales that now decorate the Whale Museum on Kaanapali. Beach in Maui. In 1995, a new exhibition in Hong Kong at the Mandarin Fine Art Gallery brought more success. In 2001 Kush opened his first gallery, Kush Fine Art in Lahaina, Hawaii. In addition, he now has locations in New York, Las Vegas and Laguna Beach, California where admirers visit from all corners of the earth.