Rain or shine, this is going to be a great weekend in Lincoln City because the famous Washed Ashore critters have landed inside and out of the Lincoln City Cultural Center.
Imagine a vast, dark ballroom ceiling illuminated by a ten-foot long Leo Jellyfish and a “bloom” of small jellies floating above you, making it seem like you are at the bottom of the sea looking up.
A huge Giacometti the River Otter joins you in your wandering. Out on the lawn, Flash the Blue Marlin jumps high in the air toward the nearby sea. Priscilla the Parrot Fish is 16 feet long and nine feet tall. There are lots of photo ops and plenty of room for the kiddos to run around Chompers the Shark and Stanley the Sturgeon.
But this is not fun without a purpose. There are teachable moments for all of us when we get up close to each sculpture and realize all of the artworks are made from ocean garbage, plastic marine debris found mostly on Bandon Beach. You can spot plastic cups that have washed up from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Lost snorkel equipment and bits and bobs of plastic pollution go into the construction of each animal.
This is the Washed Ashore project founded in 2010 by conceptual artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi. Since 2010, over 10,000 volunteers have participated in the Washed Ashore project, helping Angela and her team create more than 80 sculptures using more than 38,000 pounds of junk picked up on the beach. This exhibit includes all kinds of interesting language to teach about ocean stewardship.
The exhibit will be in Lincoln City through March, but this coming weekend is the Grand Opening with a variety of special events, including a free screening of the Washed Away film both Saturday and Sunday. The artist will give a “Get Inspired” presentation Saturday night at 6:00 pm, and that is a ticketed event at lincolncityculturalcenter.org
As a viewer, you will be lured to look more closely at the beauty and craftsmanship of the critters, but if you’re like me, you’ll be shocked and motivated to learn more about the issue of plastic pollution on our beautiful, no longer pristine beaches.
This is Sandy Brown Jensen for KLCC.
