Wilson Elementary's "Recycled Jellyfish" art sculpture will be on display now through Dec. 31st at the i.d.e.a. Museum, 150 W. Pepper Place. Their art piece was selected as the winner of this year's environmental art competition sponsored by the City of Mesa Environmental Management & Sustainability Department.
Mesa elementary schools were invited to take part in the City of Mesa's Art of Sustainability Artwork Challenge. As part of the competition, schools were asked to create a work of art that conveyed an environmental message and was constructed from repurposed materials.
Eight schools participated in this first-year challenge. A panel of judges, comprised of representatives from the i.d.e.a. Museum, Mesa Arts Center and the Environmental Management & Sustainability Department, narrowed down the list of entries to three finalists and conducted on-site school visits to select the winning piece.
Wilson Elementary constructed a jellyfish from plastic bags and bottles to highlight the environmental impact that plastic has on our oceans and sea life. Per their research, there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the world's oceans by 2050. They also learned that sea turtles ingest plastic bags which resemble jellyfish and are the most commonly found item in their stomachs.
"Recycling objects into art is near and dear to us at the i.d.e.a. Museum," said Executive Director Sunnee O'Rork. "We are thrilled to be sharing with our visitors the beautiful and fun 'Recycled Jellyfish' sculpture the students created together as a team. It's a masterpiece."
To learn more about Mesa's recycling programs, visit www.mesarecycles.org.
Environmental Management & Sustainability
Contact: Mariano Reyes
Tel. 480-644-5005
mariano.reyes@mesaaz.gov