Artula Institute For Art And Environmental Education

ARTULA INSTITUTE FOR ARTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONS MISSION IS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPRESS AND TEACH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THROUGH THE ARTS.

WASHED ASHORE IS THE CULTURAL FOCAL PROJECT OF ARTULA INSTITUTE FOR ARTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, A NON-PROFIT. WASHED ASHORES MISSION IS TO BUILD AND EXHIBIT AESTHETICALLY POWERFUL ART TO EDUCATE A GLOBAL AUDIENCE ABOUT PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE OCEAN AND WATERWAYS AND TO SPARK POSITIVE CHANGES IN CONSUMER HABITS. THE MULTI-LAYERED PROCESS TO DEVELOP THE CHARACTERISTIC WASHED ASHORE ART STARTS AT THE BEACH. MANY MILES OF OREGON COASTLINE ARE STREWN WITH PLASTIC MARINE DEBRIS COMING FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES, INCLUDING THE NORTH PACIFIC GYRE. PREDOMINANTLY PLASTIC DEBRIS COMES FROM STORM DRAINS, STREAMS, AND RIVERS THAT LEAD TO THE OCEAN, AS WELL AS BEACHES AND MARINE VESSELS. DEBRIS TRAVELS FROM CONTINENT TO CONTINENT. IT IS THEN PICKED UP FROM THE BEACHES BY HAND ONE PIECE AT A TIME, AND BROUGHT INTO OUR WASHED ASHORE PROCESSING FACILITY TO BE RINSED, WASHED, CUT, DRILLED, AND PREPARED FOR COMMUNITY MEMBER WORKSHOPS. THE ENTIRE PROCESS IS CAREFULLY DIRECTED BY THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR WITH DETAILS OF THE ARTWORK DONE BY THE LEAD ARTIST. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE VOLUNTEER TO DRILL, STITCH, STRING, WEAVE, AND ATTACH CLEANED PLASTIC DEBRIS ONTO WIRE MESH IN WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS PIECE-WORK. SIMPLE TO COMPLEX METHODS ARE DEVELOPED TO INCORPORATE VOLUNTEERS OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES. WORKSHOPS ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC AND OFFER A FUN, INTERACTIVE COMMUNITY GATHERING SPOT AS WELL AS PRESENTING A CONSERVATION EDUCATIONAL FORUM FOR OCEAN CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP. IN THE PAST 13 YEARS, WASHED ASHORE HAS COLLECTED OVER 35 TONS OF MARINE DEBRIS FROM THE OREGON COAST LINE, (DISPOSABLE LIGHTERS, CRUSHED PLASTIC BINS, LOST BEACH SHOVELS, WATER BOTTLES AND DERELICT FISHING NETS, ETC.) AND TRANSFORMED IT INTO ALMOST 100 NATIONALLY FEATURED ART PIECES. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT OVER 36 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE SEEN WASHED ASHORE EXHIBITS IN PERSON. FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY, INVITED WASHED ASHORE TO DISPLAY NINE ART PIECES IN THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT IN 2016 FOR THE OUR OCEAN CONFERENCE. IN 2017 THE UNITED NATIONS HOSTED FOUR SCULPTURES AT THEIR FIRST INTERNATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK CITY. THIS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION HAS WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION AND REQUESTS FOR CREATING SATELLITE PROJECTS AND COMMISSIONED ARTWORK. MEDIA ATTENTION HAS INCLUDED A CNN 20-MINUTE FEATURE, PBS NEWSHOUR, NPR MORNING EDITION INTERVIEW, REUTERS INTERNATIONAL T.V., NEW YORK TIMES INTERVIEW, AND INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINES, BOOKS, BLOGS AND NEWSPAPERS. WHILE BEING KNOWN WORLDWIDE, BANDON, OREGON IS THE HUMBLE HOME-BASE OF THIS PROJECT AND IT HEAVILY RELIES ON THE COMMUNITY FOR ITS SUCCESS. ALONG WITH THE VOLUNTEER WORKSHOPS, WASHED ASHORE DOES OUTREACH PROJECTS INTO SCHOOLS AND PARTNERS WITH SERVICE GROUPS. IN OLD TOWN, WASHED ASHORE HAS HOSTED OVER 26,000 VISITORS IN THE LAST 12 YEARS IN THE ECO-SHIFT MARKET, EXHIBIT GALLERY AND EDUCATION CENTER AND INVOLVED OVER 15,000 VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST IN CREATING AND PRODUCING THE SCULPTURES. AS WASHED ASHORE HAS COME OUT OF THE COVID-19 PERIOD IT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AND GROW. IN 2022 A SCULPTURE TOUR RETURNED TO VANCOUVER, CANADA FOR WASHED ASHORE SECOND INTERNATIONAL SHOW, AS WELL AS SUCCESSFUL APPEARANCES AT A BOTANIC GARDEN IN WICHITA, KS; AN AQUARIUM IN CHATTANOOGA, TN; AND ZOO IN GRAND RAPIDS, MI; ALL IN CENTRAL UNITED STATES.THESE US LOCATIONS SHOW HOW WASHED ASHORE HAS BROUGHT OCEAN AWARENESS INLAND, CONNECTING THESE COMMUNITIES THROUGH THEIR RIVERS AND WATERSHEDS TO THIS COMPLICATED ISSUE. NEW PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS LIKE THE LIVE WORLD OCEAN DAY BROADCAST WITH FABIAN COUSTEAU AND THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM SHOW THE DYNAMIC NEW PARTNERSHIPS UNDERWAY. ANOTHER NEW DIRECTION INCLUDED A FREE, ISLANDWIDE SHOW IN GALVESTON, TX. THIS SHOW WAS FREE TO ALL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS AND EXPANDED ACCESS, DEMONSTRATING NEW DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION GOALS FOR THE ORGANIZATION.