The Washed Ashore Project

About us

Washed Ashore is a project of The Artula Institute for Arts and Environmental Education whose mission is to provide opportunities to express and teach environmental issues through the arts. Washed Ashore is a non-profit community art project founded by artist and educator, Angela Haseltine Pozzi in 2010. The project is based in Bandon, Oregon, where Angela first recognized the amount of plastic washing up on the beaches she loved and decided to take action.
Since 2010, Washed Ashore has processed tons of plastic pollution from Pacific beaches to create monumental art that is awakening the hearts and minds of viewers to the global marine debris crisis.

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.

Our work
• Washed Ashore Ocean Ambassadors: The Washed Ashore sculptures are constructed entirely from debris that has washed up on our shores. Each of these giant sculptures represents the sea life affected by plastic pollution. These unique art pieces are part of a national traveling exhibition that includes educational signage and programs that encourage reducing, refusing, reusing, repurposing and recycling.
• Educational initiatives: Five interconnected areas are the focus for all of Washed Ashore’s educational programing and rely on each other to promote a full understanding of the marine debris issue. LOVE THE OCEAN: To know the ocean, its shorelines and its inhabitants. To understand how the ocean affects everyone everywhere on earth; PLASTIC POLLUTION: To understand marine debris, (specifically plastic pollution) where it comes from, how it happens, how it travels, and the environmental and ecological impacts; ARTS ENLIVEN: To use the language of the visual, performing, literary and media arts to awaken the senses, gain attention and promote solutions to the plastic pollution problem: 4 R’s EVERY DAY: Reduce, reuse, recycle, and refuse in everyday life. To understand the realities of recycling and the processes of repurposing; ECO-SHIFT: To change individual habits to refuse plastics, re-think purchases, and shift to more eco-friendly consumer alternatives. To understand biodegradable and sustainable products. To encourage individual, community, governmental, and corporate formats for change.
• Traveling Exhibits: The Washed Ashore Project creates powerful art that captivates all ages and teaches environmental conservation and sustainability. The Washed Ashore Traveling Exhibits feature beautifully designed and well-crafted giant sea life sculptures made entirely of marine debris collected from beaches to graphically illustrate the tragedy of plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways and to encourage conservation. Teacher, staff and docent workshops lead by our expert education team combining art, science and environmental issues are included in the exhibit package. Additional workshops and presentations are available.

Frank Rocco is the Marketing Director of the Washed Ashore Project.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.