Sept. 28, 2022 — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is presenting an exhibit of art created by students, faculty and community members from marine debris found on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands to highlight one of the most widespread pollution problems facing the world’s ocean and waterways.
The “Channel Islands Marine Debris Art Show” will be held Friday, Sept. 30, from 6 to 10 p.m. at MadeWest Brewery at 1744 Donlon St. in Ventura. The exhibit will then be viewable by appointment throughout October at the 643 Project Space at 643 N. Ventura Ave. in Ventura. A reception will be held on Friday, Oct. 7, as part of Art Ventura’s First Friday.
With grant funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, CSUCI’s Santa Rosa Island Research Station (SRIRS) has worked with partners to remove 16,600 pounds of trash from the northern Channel Islands and Channel Islands National Park, collect data on it and incorporate it into art since 2016.
Although uninhabited, the islands’ ecologically sensitive shorelines are littered with marine debris ranging from lobster traps to Starbucks cups. The debris can come from stormwater discharge, illegal dumping, mainland beachgoers and commercial fishing operations.
Under the second NOAA grant awarded in 2020, students from SRIRS and multiple academic programs at CSUCI are working with student veterans and members of historically underrepresented groups to remove and assess the debris from seven remote beaches through September 2023. Volunteers took multi-day trips to the islands to collect debris, a process involving long, rugged hikes up rocky cliffs carrying debris-laden backpacks.
Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management Clare Steele, Ph.D., and student researchers identify the polymer types in plastic debris samples to pinpoint sources. All the data collected since 2016 will be used to inform policy changes to reduce marine debris.
Professor of Art Matthew Furmanski, who has participated in the SRIRS Marine Debris Program since its beginning, was pivotal in the collaboration between his program and SRIRS on the project. This year, Furmanski and Jose Galvan Martinez, an Art major and former SRIRS intern, spearheaded the efforts to incorporate the recovered debris into sculptures and mixed media pieces and organize the second “Channel Islands Marine Debris Art Show” to educate the community about the environmental problem. They recruited artists from CSUCI and the community, and Galvan Martinez led a workshop in collaboration with Vita Art Center in Ventura where K-12 students created additional pieces.
“Turning an object that would otherwise go to a landfill into art that helps send a message is part of our Marine Debris Program’s mission,” said SRIRS Coordinator Joe Forrest. “A lot of the art created will demonstrate the issues of pollution.”
To schedule a visit to the 643 Project Space, contact Furmanski at matthew.furmanski@csuci.edu.