News Release

Artist selected for public marine debris art display in Cape Cod National Seashore

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Cindy Pease Roe, center, poses with park staff.

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News Release Date: August 19, 2022

Contact: Aleutia Scott, 774-353-7079

Contact: Laura Ludwig, 207-263-5300

WELLFLEET, Mass. – The Center for Coastal Studies and the Cape Cod National Seashore, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program, are pleased to announce that artist Cindy Pease Roe has been selected through a juried review process to design and construct a public marine debris exhibit to be installed in the National Seashore in early-summer 2023.

Cindy Pease Roe, who resides in Greenport, NY, makes annual pilgrimages to the national seashore and to Cape Cod where her grandfather was a minister at the Congregational Church of South Dennis and where she began her career as an artist.

"Spending summers on the Cape was the starting point for my lifelong partnership with waterecosystems - the source material and catalyst for my art. I view this project as a chance to give back to the Cape a small fraction of what the Cape has given me," said Roe.

Plastic debris found during cleanups in the Cape Cod National Seashore, which may include anything from fishing gear, party balloons, rope, lost footwear, toys, and to-go containers will be used by Roe to create the site-specific installation at one of the Park's facilities.

“Ms. Roe’s personal ties to the park and her background as an artist make her a perfect choice for this art installation,” noted Cape Cod National Seashore Superintendent Brian Carlstrom. “We are hopeful that this exhibit will raise awareness and encourage personal behaviors that can reduce and prevent harmful marine debris.”

An educator and marine advocate as well as an artist, Roe founded UpSculpt, a nonprofit charitable organization created to further the education and hands-on solutions surrounding marine debris, plastics, and their disposal. Her marine debris artwork has been featured in galleries and permanent installations around the world, including at the Susan Lister Locke Gallery on Nantucket; for the Overseas Chinese Town Group in Shenzen, China; and this summer at the Sandwich Heritage Gardens & Museum. In a unique art + science residency, she traveled to the Hawai'ian islands in 2019 with the Schmidt Ocean Institute as their Artist-At-Sea, upcycling waste generated on board the ship into artwork reflecting the expedition's journey.

Her installation, located at Cape Cod National Seashore, will support marine debris removal, prevention, outreach, and education undertaken by both the Center for Coastal Studies and the Cape Cod National Seashore by reaching new audiences, educating about debris sources in the region, raising awareness about the issue of plastic trash and empowering behavior changes to reduce plastic use.

“The proposals we received for this call were all creative and inspired by marine debris, but Cindy’s track record to inspire and motivate behavioral change, coupled with her accessible and relevant sculptures, made her the ideal artist for this unique installation,” said Laura Ludwig, CCS Marine Debris & Plastics program coordinator.

For more information about this display, please contact Aleutia Scott, Supervisory Park Ranger or Laura Ludwig, Program Coordinator at Center for Coastal Studies.



Last updated: August 19, 2022

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