As part of this year’s World Oceans Day celebration, the National Aquarium partnered with the Maryland Institute College of Art to produce a community art project!

A sculpture of our beloved green sea turtle, Calypso, was designed by interdisciplinary artist Kasey Jones.

With help from the public, Kasey filled her large-scale piece with over 4,000 recycled plastic bags. The goal of her sculpture was to bring attention to the harmful impact plastics are having on aquatic animals like sea turtles. 

To sea turtles, plastic bags floating in the water bear a striking resemblance to jellyfish (one of their major food sources). Unfortunately, scientists are learning that green and leatherback sea turtles, both endangered species, are consuming more plastic than ever before.

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Every year, Americans throw away an estimated 100 billion plastic bags, only 0.6 percent of which are recycled.

It is our hope that more projects like this one can become powerful platforms for communities to affect social and environmental change.

For those who are going to be in Baltimore this weekend, Kasey’s sculpture will be on display at Artscape. We hope to see you there!