NORWICH, Conn. — The third and fourth-grade students at the Integrated Day Charter School in Norwich have had their hands full as they work on an art project meant to send a message.
Artist and University of Hartford Politics and International Studies professor Kat Owens has been an artist in residence at the Integrated Day Charter School for the past few weeks, teaming up with students to work on a 16 by 8-foot Sperm Whale calf canvas – made of plastic bags.
Owens, an environmentalist, is working to spread more education about the dangers of plastic pollution.
“The message is about the many different species that are harmed by plastic pollution and the Sperm Whale is one of the hundreds of species that are affected by either entanglement – getting wrapped up in debris or ingestion – or eating debris,” said Owens.
Using “film bags,” the kind that so many shipping products come packaged in, students stitch together the image of the whale.
“Because of the history of whaling in Norwich, we decided to focus on a smaller baby Sperm Whale,” Owens added.
“They are learning about how to save the environment, they’re learning stitching skills which is a life skill,” said Arlene Morrison, an art teacher at the school.
The whale will soon find a home hanging on a wall in the school cafeteria with informational signs surrounding it about the dangers of plastic pollution.
“When we hang this up, I’m going to look back at this and think about all the great things we learned,” fourth grader Britton Wilson said while looking at the nearly completed whale artwork.
For Owens, this is yet another project meant to amplify the message about plastic pollution. In 2022, she completed a six-month-long project with numerous school groups on a Sperm Whale that is 60 feet long and made of plastic mailers. That whale is now being showcased on a wall at Bradley International Airport.
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