Using art to create awareness

The One Drop In the Ocean, ‘From Marine Debris to Art’ exhibit, opened to the public on Wednesday March 7. The exhibition was a collaboration of various local artists, who had volunteered at beach clean-up events in the past.

Photographers, artists and designers created works of art from the debris to create awareness of the extent of pollution in the sea. The St Vincent and the Grenadines Preservation Fund, led by Louise Mitchell, was one of the main sponsors to the event.

“The problem of plastic in the ocean has become so bad that studies that are done on seagulls show that nine out of 10 birds would have eaten plastic at some point. Also plastics are now ending up in fish, so that when we eat seafood, it actually has a plastic content, which is very toxic for the body,” Mitchell said.

She said the One Drop In the Ocean was initiated primarily by Raven Hoffman and Nadia Huggins. She elaborated that the people who visit St Vincent and the Grenadines do so because of the ocean and our marine life and it is critical for us to take care of the ocean.

On Thursday, March 8, a documentary called Plastic Ocean was shown, free of cost, with the collaborating artists being present.

The exhibition ran from March 7 to March 15 at the SVG National Trust, on the ground floor of the Alliance Francais.

Paintings, sculptures, dresses and craft which consist of marine debris from local artists such as Akley Olton, Alexandrea Alexis, Ayana Baisden, Booops, Calvert Jones, Chante Ferdinand, Garvet ‘Fresh’ Daniel, Jeremy Payne, Joanna Adams, Julae Delves Ross, Kimya Glasgow, Kristoffe Mascoll, Mr. Retall, Nadia Huggins, Odini Sutherland, Olivia Stephens and Sherika Sayers were on display.

The event was sponsored by Mustique Company, SG Defreitas, St Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust, Paul Sykes and the St Vincent and the Grenadines Preservation Fund.(CB)