Art for a Cause
I recently took a trip to Florida for the first time and I absolutely loved seeing all of the aquatic animals! I was blown away by the diversity. Living in Arizona, I don’t get to see much marine life so I was incredibly inspired. I got a chance to visit the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota and was fortunate enough to view the “Sea Debris: Awareness Through Art” exhibit. It showcased an incredible art project called “Washed Ashore“. The project aims to bring awareness to ocean pollution through large sculptures made out of debris found on beaches.
“Washed Ashore” is a non-profit community project based in Oregon that was created by Angela Haseltine Pozzi in 2010. Angela relies on the help of volunteers to collect trash from beaches to use for the sculptures. See her artistic process below in the making of one of her turtle pieces.
Washed Ashore Shark Sculpture at Aquarium
Washed Ashore Shark Sculpture Inner Mouth Details
This project made a huge impact on me and I highly recommend seeing some of the sculptures in person if you’re able. You’ll easily spend a solid 15+ minutes identifying pieces of the familiar everyday objects used to create each piece. You can view exhibit locations and dates here. If you’d like to contribute to this inspiring educational art project, visit the “Washed Ashore” donation page. They accept donations of any size.
Florida Marine Art Journal
Below you’ll see my quick life-sketches of some of the animals and environments in Florida that are also affected by the pollution of our oceans. The first handful of sketches are from outside the Tampa Electric Company. The area is well-known for attracting manatees because of the warm waters nearby it. One sick manatee had a buoy tied to its tail to mark its location. The viewing center had manatee mothers and calves, crevalle jack fish, small sharks, mangroves, stingray petting station, and a manatee information center.
The rest of my sketches were done at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.
