Editors
Note: We are proud to have partnered over
the years with the Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs to support young people
interested in using art as a tool to communicate ocean conservation through our
Youth Ocean Conservation Summit program. In this guest blog, Alyssa Irizarry shares her personal journey to
her role as program manager with Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs, and highlights
outstanding student created art pieces submitted through their annual Ocean
Awareness Student Contest.
When
I was a senior in high school, two classmates and I painted a mural on the door
of our marine biology classroom. The mural depicted a cross section of a rocky
seamount and incorporated the many topics we had covered thus far in the
semester.
The
mural was not for extra credit, nor did we paint it, necessarily, for fun. As
advanced studio art students, we were given the option of painting the mural
instead of writing a paper, which
provided us with a different opportunity to reflect on our lessons in marine
ecology.
At
first glance, it may seem like the three of us certainly lucked out; however,
the project was not as simple as grabbing a few brushes and tubes of primary
colors. We had to petition the principal for permission to paint on the door, and
we had to create budgets for materials and for time. We had to develop the
mural’s design and in planning, we had to do research on the ecosystem in order
to accurately illustrate it. The assignment reinforced our skills in teamwork,
time management, and research.
Most
importantly, the project showed me that I didn’t need to have an interest in
art or
in science. The two – together – are a very powerful tool. As an undergrad, I
became very interested in the ways that the arts can be used, specifically, to
communicate environmental conservation. Art can – and should – be harnessed to
inspire a greater appreciation for and a more nuanced understanding of the
natural world – and the many serious issues facing it.
My
lifelong interest in the ocean and the arts has taken me from Mexico
(conducting research on sea turtle murals) to The Bahamas (teaching
environmental art)… and to Massachusetts, where I am now the Program Manager at
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs, a
Boston-based nonprofit with a mission to inspire and empower the next
generation of ocean caretakers through art, science, and advocacy.
“Title,”
by Jonathan Barrera, 2015 Silver Award (High School) Winner in Art
Each year Bow Seat hosts the Ocean Awareness Student Contest, which
challenges middle and high school students around the world to communicate the science of pressing ocean
issues through art, poetry, prose, or film. The theme of this year’s
Contest is “Making Meaning of Ocean Pollution,” and we want students to use
their problem-solving skills, creativity, and communication skills to raise
awareness about ocean pollution and to call the world to action.
I recently attended a lecture
on the impact of shipping and seismic exploration noise on marine wildlife,
whales in particular. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable on ocean issues,
but I was blown away at the extent to which we’re polluting our oceans with
noise. You can learn more about noise pollution at listenforwhales.org
Last year, the Contest received over 1,100 amazing submissions
from 43 U.S. states and 34 countries. Bow Seat awarded hundreds of prizes to
students and their schools and teachers – more than $80,000 in total! But we
don’t just want the Contest to end at the prize. We also help find exhibition
and publishing opportunities for the winners throughout the year to help them
jumpstart a career in “ARTivism.”
We want students to understand art’s potential to motivate action.
The mechanical pencil
I scratch this poem out with
Is plastic
The material of infinite human uses
Destroying our world’s first gift
The keys I will use to tap out
The sad song my pen sings
Are plastic Used to create a portal
of knowledge
But will poison and choke Earth’s
greatest miracle
An unsuspecting marlin
Will swallow a splinter of my
pencil
Poked through the stomach
Wasting away in the deep
A careless pelican
Will ingest the keys
That once typed this poem
A nefarious alphabet soup
Excerpt from “Indispensable
Devices, Trashed Every Day,” by Connor Webb, 2015 Gold Award (Middle School) in Poetry
Through reflections and evaluations, we have found that students
who participate in our Contest are often learning about threats to ocean
ecosystems for the first time. The creative outlet for processing new knowledge
makes that information stick, often
resulting in meaningful and long-lasting behavior change within students. In
their own words:
“Whenever
I go to the lake or ocean and see trash, rather than just leaving it, I now
pick it up. I used to think it wasn't my responsibility.”
“I'm
far more conscious of my plastics usage. I make more responsible choices now.
And I advocate more for the oceans and water systems more than ever.”
We at Bow Seat believe that
changing our world for the better starts by inspiring youth to vividly imagine
a better future and empowering them to create it themselves. We invite you to learn more about the Ocean
Awareness Student Contest and consider submitting your own entry for next year's contest!
