Nonprofit Organization From Hawaii Combines Art and Activism

By
Izzie S
-

PangeaSeed Foundation is a nonprofit organization in Hawaii that’s using art to help save Earth’s waters. They created an international mural program called Sea Walls: Artists For Oceans in which over 350 ocean-themed murals have been painted so far by over 300 artists in 15 countries.

“We always aim to create a balance between international, national and local artists,” says the organization founder Tré Packard for This Is Colossal. “Over the years, with the Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans program being nomadic, we’ve learned the importance of community ownership of the murals once we’ve packed up and left town. There tend to be so many incredible local creatives in the areas we host projects, so we work hand in hand with the local project director to help identify local artists who we invite to participate in the project.”

Check out the murals below.

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FANTASTIC NEWS FOR OCEANS TO END THE YEAR WITH! . Bali, Indonesia has taken a BIG step and BOLD action to curb pollution in its local waters, enacting a ban on single-use plastics including shopping bags, styrofoam, and straws. . Bali Governor Wayan Koster announced the ban on Monday (Dec 24), and expressed hope that the policy would lead to a 70 per cent decline in Bali's marine plastics within a year. . The new policy carries a six-month grace period dating from Dec 21, when it was signed and took effect. . Jakarta plans to follow Bali's example by drafting a similar regulation that bans single-use plastic bags. . It has been difficult to trace the origins of the trash on Bali's beaches, but experts estimate that up to 80 per cent comes from the island. . The trash that informal workers collect from hotels and villages is often dumped in rivers, which then carry the waste out to sea. The trash eventually finds its way back to the resort island's beaches on coastal tides and currents. . National or local governments in more than 40 countries around the world have now imposed bans on single-use plastic bags, including the Philippines, Malaysia, India and China. . The tide is finally beginning to turn on single use plastics. This new year, lead by example be the change you want to see in the world. Remember, oceans matter. . Artwork by Vasco Gargalo . #protectwhatyoulove #artivism #planetorplastic #plasticfree #reuse #reduce #recycle #plasticpollution #zerowaste #noplastic #nowaste #lessplastic #plastic #plasticwaste #plasticfree #passonplastic #nomoreplastic #ecology #eco #ecofriendly #environment #bali #indonesia #baliindonesia #saveouroceans #bethechange

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“Dafne” by youth engagement partner @fromthebowseat (USA) for @pangeaseed Foundation latest edition of our international public art program, @seawalls_ Artists for Oceans. . Location: Wailuku, Maui | Mauka to Makai . Swipe 👈🏽 for finished mural and detail photos. . “Dafne” is a re-imagination of a painting by teen artist Dafne Murillo, a @fromthebowseat’s Ocean Awareness Contest art scholarship winner. This mural was facilitated by Bow Seat’s director Alyssa Irizarry | @lttlelttle on @hpbaldwinhs campus. . Students had the opportunity to add plastic pieces to the whale based on conversations about marine debris they commonly encounter on Maui’s beaches or and the plastic items they use on a daily basis. . Each winter, an estimated 12,000 humpback whales visit the waters of Maui Nui to breed and nurse their young. Humpbacks can be found in our oceans around the world—and so can plastic pollution. We celebrate and cherish these majestic creatures, contributing to a billion dollar whale tourism industry worldwide. But whales, the largest mammals on Earth, are increasingly threatened by plastic waste in the ocean, whether through direct ingestion or entanglement. . “Dafne” is a reminder of our close relationship with the incredible marine life that inhabits our blue planet. It’s about cultivating an awareness about how our actions on land directly impact life below the surface. Whether in Boston (Bow Seat’s home), Maui, Lima, Peru (student artivist Dafne’s hometown), or hundreds of miles inland, we can all respect and honor this interconnection by being aware of, and reducing, our personal plastic consumption, and supporting community-based efforts to eliminate single-use plastics (such as Maui’s recent polystyrene foam-free initiative).” . Thank you to our project partners, @countyofmaui @smalltownbigart @lushcosmetics @fromthebowseat @patagonia @pacificwhalefoundation @hpbaldwinhs @volcom @volcomhawaii_ @montanacans @behrpaint @coral_org @sustainablecoastlineshawaii, @start_streetartoronto, the Johnson Ohana Foundation, and more. . PC: @abovebelowphoto . #pangeaseed #seawalls #seawallsmaui #smalltownbigart #maui #mauinokaoi #hawaii #artivism #paintforapurpose

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“Hawaiian Monk Seal” by supporting ARTivist @jerryrugg (Canada), in partnership with @start_streetartoronto, for @pangeaseed Foundation latest edition of our international public art movement, @seawalls_ Artists for Oceans. . Location: Wailuku, Maui | Mauka to Makai . Swipe 👈🏽 for finished mural and detail photos. . Artist statement: “With estimates suggesting there are few more than 1000 remaining Hawaiian Monk Seals in existence, its millions of years of history as one of two endemic mammals to Hawaii is critically endangered. There are several contributing factors to their plight, most are attributed to the actions of humans. . My SURREAL depiction of the Hawaiian Monk Seal dodging the perils of overfishing is only one reflection of its REAL situation. . The official Hawaiian state mammal will need more than a life ring to help make it through humankind's entangled mess, it's up to us.” . Thank you to our project partners, @countyofmaui @smalltownbigart @lushcosmetics @fromthebowseat @patagonia @pacificwhalefoundation @hpbaldwinhs @volcom @volcomhawaii_ @montanacans @behrpaint @coral_org @sustainablecoastlineshawaii, @start_streetartoronto, the Johnson Ohana Foundation, and more. . PC: @abovebelowphoto . #pangeaseed #seawalls #seawallsmaui #smalltownbigart #maui #mauinokaoi #hawaii #artivism #paintforapurpose #protectwhatyoulove #oceansmatter

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"My Freedom Becomes Your Freedom" by supporting ARTivist @dolphina.lovestofly (Mexico) for @pangeaseed Foundation's latest edition of our international public art program, @seawalls_ Artists for Oceans in partnership with @proyectopanorama. . Location: Cozumel, Mexico | 20.4230° N, 86.9223° W . Swipe 👈🏽 to view process and detail photos. . Mural theme: Dolphin captivity . Artist statement: “My mural aims to address the subject of freedom, a right we all have as living beings. Marine mammal captivity interrupts the natural cycle and goes against what their free instincts require. We, as humans, have the power to return them to their natural habitat to let them reclaim their freedom they are entitled to simply because they are part of the earth and not a touristic object. . Dolphinaria profit at the cost of the freedom of these beautiful creatures. In some countries around the world, they are banned but much remains to be done to give these animals a voice, including in Mexico. Here, we have 31 SEMARNAT-registered dolphinaria in the states of Quintana Roo, Veracruz, Baja California Sur, Nayarit, and swimming with captive dolphins continues to be on the to-do lists of national and international tourists.” . PC: @abovebelowphoto . Gracias to @mexicobienhecho for sponsoring all of our acrylic paint and materials for Sea Walls Cozumel. . #pangeaseed #seawalls #cozumel #seawallscozumel #protectwhatyoulove #ARTivism #paintforapurpose #proyectopanorama

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Today is World Turtle Day and to celebrate @pangeaseed Foundation is sharing one of our favorite sea turtle inspired @seawalls_ Artists for Oceans murals created by supporting ARTivist @midas.kid (Indonesia) in collaboration with @tropicafestival. . Did you know, the oldest known sea turtle fossils date back about 150 million years, making them some of the oldest creatures on Earth? Just for some context, dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. . Though six of the seven species of sea turtles, including this loggerhead hatchling, are threatened or endangered at the hand of humans. . Sadly, the fact is that they face many dangers as they travel the seas including accidental capture, pollution and entanglement in fishing gear. Plus the loss of nesting and feeding sites to coastal development, poaching, and ocean pollution. . Imagine an ocean where this is the last sea turtle. We must view these animals in a new light and understand they are incredibly important for the health of the ocean ecosystem. . Please visit PangeaSeed.org to learn how you can help save our oceans. . #pangeaseed #seawalls #artivism #paintforapurpose #protectwhatyoulove #streetart #oceansmatter #ocean #art #seaturtle #honu #worldturtleday

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Tonight, from 7pm, join @pangeaseed Foundation and @lizzie_outside for an evening of storytelling at @patagonianyc (Soho shop) celebrating World Oceans Week! . @pangeaseed Foundation is an official ‘Friends of UN World Oceans Day’ partner, and this week we’re curating an art activation with guest artist @beaustanton at the prestigious @the_explorers_club, a talk-story session at @patagonianyc (SoHo) on June 6, presentations and panels at the official UN WOD events on July 7 and live art in collaboration with guest artist @dragon76art aboard the @peaceboatus on June 8, and more. . Many of these events are open to the public, so if you’re in New York, come say Aloha and join some of the events across town to learn and be inspired to take positive action for our oceans! . Artwork by @pangeaseed supporting ARTivist @markomanev . #unworldoceansday #genderandoceans #SaveOurOcean #pangeaseed #ARTivism #paintforapurpose #protectwhatyoulove #ocean #art

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