Washed Ashore
Art to Save the Sea
Our first ever weekly featured art is from Washed Ashore – Art to save the Sea.
Based in Oregon, USA, Washed Ashore “builds and exhibits aesthetically powerful art to educate a global audience about plastic pollution in the ocean and waterways and spark positive changes in consumer habits”.
This non-profit community art project was founded by artist and educator, Angela Haseltine Pozzi in 2010. The community of artists and volunteers have made over 70 sculptures from the 26 tons of rubbish picked up from Bandon, Oregon beaches.
Angela says of plastic pollution that she invites everyone to work together to create a change and find solutions collectively… whether you’re Buddhist or baptist, redneck or hippie, Democrat or Republican. Rallying together behind a common cause is something we need more of these days, in her words.
The sculptures are exhibited in zoos, aquariums and natural history museums, as well as the Washed Ashore gallery and workshop. The artistic concept is strong, resonating with kids and adults alike. The message is clear: there is plastic pollution in the ocean on a scale we can’t even imagine.
Washed Ashore’s website showcases a gallery of the beautiful sculptures and details current exhibition venues. It also features a section on The Process of making sculptures from beach plastic. Volunteers are needed to help with the vast amounts of sorting, cleaning, storing and assembling that goes in to each sculpture.
The beach plastic is attached using screws to metal frames, giving the animals their basic structure. The result is a sculpture that can withstand being outdoors in all weather and moved around as part of a traveling exhibit.
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| Starfish sculpture by Washed Ashore |
Ms. Haseltine Pozzi, pictured below, designed a curriculum in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which she teaches to staff and docents.
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| Angela Haseltine Pozzi with Cosmo the Puffin. Mason Trinca for The New York Times |
Angela Haseltine Pozzi is a wonderful example of how one dedicated person can change the world. Her art has inspired a community of volunteers and touched the hearts and minds of hundreds of children. People who interact with this art will come away caring more about the earth and understanding more about the dangers of plastic pollution. Thank you Angela!
