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.
Washed Ashore has taken those 26 tons of garbage, all debris that washed up on the Oregon coast (the majority within 100 miles of Bandon), and built 70 large-scale sculptures and counting, including Octavia the Octopus, Edward the Leatherback Turtle, and Daisy the Polar Bear.
Haseltine Pozzi, founder, executive director, artistic director, and lead artist also travels to train venue staff and docents in curriculum designed in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The nonprofit collects garbage on the Oregon coast and creates sculptures of animals whose health is endangered by the trash they are made of, which become “ocean ambassadors” around the country.
Pictured:
Feature Photo: Finn the Mako Shark
Size: 15 ft. tall x 6 ft. diameter.
Stella the Seahorse
Size: 9 ft. tall x 4 ft. long x 2 ft. wide.
Standing Blue Jelly
Size: 15 ft. tall x 6 ft. diameter.
Currently, the “ocean ambassadors” are on view at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, the Oakland Zoo in California, and the Florida Aquarium in Tampa.
NOAA estimates that eight million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year.
READ MORE HERE: Waste360.Com