Sarasota County, Gulf Coast Community Foundation to Unveil Educational Sculpture at Siesta Beach

April 12, 2021 – Sarasota

Sarasota County has partnered with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF) for a special event on April 17 to bring awareness to the hazards of marine debris and the importance of protecting the world’s water supply.

A large aluminum sea turtle sculpture will be unveiled at Siesta Beach’s main pavilion as part of these awareness efforts. The sculpture, which was designed by Asolo Repertory Theatre’s master designer Jeff Dean and created in the reperatory’s Koski Center, doubles as a receptacle for displaying recyclables and highlights the benefits of reducing and recycling waste.

“Water quality is crucial to our way of life here in Sarasota County, for our region, and for our entire state,” said Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Nicole Rissler. “The more we do to keep that conversation active and relevant, the more we’ll be able to pass these lessons on to future generations.”

According to Jon Thaxton, senior vice president for Community Investment at GCCF, the sculpture is a way of using art and education to protect the natural environment. A similar turtle sculpture was recently unveiled at Venice Beach.

“These turtle sculptures are a form of public participation art that will make a statement to beachgoers about how their plastics and other recyclables could end up harming marine life if they’re not properly disposed of,” Thaxton added.

The sculpture unveiling also serves as one of Sarasota County’s Centennial Celebration events, and coincides with the Great American Cleanup which is hosted by Keep Sarasota County Beautiful.

Volunteers will be collecting waste and recyclables across the county, including Siesta Beach. Volunteers will be asked to place a few found recyclables inside of the sea turtle sculpture to commemorate the occasion. The sculpture will then be sealed and serve as a work of art, and continued reminder of the community’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

The artwork was donated by Gulf Coast Community Foundation in collaboration with Sarasota County.

For more information, call the Sarasota County Contact Center at (941) 861-5000 or visit scgov.net.