What do a reindeer, a mermaid, and a right whale have in common? They’re all keeping company in the Port of Egypt Marina in Southold in the comfortably stuffed UpSculpt studio at the water’s edge.
UpSculpt is a nonprofit organization that creates marine-themed sculptures using trash and debris found on area beaches. Founded by Greenport artist Cindy Pease Roe, the largely marine-themed art is a big hit with the public and brings attention to the problem of ocean plastics.
UpSculpt volunteers regularly clean beaches of trash, which is washed, stored and used to create the sculptures—even the Mattituck Main Road Laundry pitches in to wash reclaimed marine rope for the group.
On June 29 from 3-4:30 p.m., UpSculpt will unveil their latest sculpture at the East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation in Greenport—an eight-foot-long North Atlantic right whale named Corazón Valiente, or “valiant heart.” The whale, constructed with old lobster gear, fishing buoys, plastic sandbag material and an old badminton shuttlecock for its spout, will be displayed outside the museum for the duration of the summer.
An accompanying exhibit will open with interactive activities for kids like sand touch tables, a microscope with samples of plastic to look at, and marine-themed mini-sculptures.
Education is key to UpSculpt’s mission, and the group leads workshops in local schools and beyond to teach children about the consequences of plastic pollution in the oceans—how it contaminates our groundwater, threatens wildlife and negatively affects human health. The group shares actions that can help stem the tide of plastic pollution, such as declining single-use plastics, carrying a reusable water bottle, organizing a beach clean-up or supporting organizations that address plastic pollution.
“As you witness our sculpture, you start to identify different plastic objects—you start to think about your own plastic use,” says Bri Sander, UpSculpt’s Director of Education and Community Outreach. “You can reflect through the process of enjoying our art, and that’s what we want to bring to the community…we want to make a positive difference and to inspire UpSculpt’s art to continue.”
Since 2016 when the nonprofit was founded, Roe and Sander have traveled to China, Florida and Maine to create sculptures and deliver their message on ocean pollutants.
They’ve recently completed a 26-foot giant squid named Medusa, commissioned by the New York Council on the Arts and on display at the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum.
A 14-foot great white shark, Mama Shug, was created in 2022 and is displayed at Herring Cove Beach at the Cape Cod National Seashore; all of the materials used to build the shark were salvaged from local Cape beaches. And word has it that one of the breweries on the North Fork has an UpSculpted giant green sea turtle hidden in the rafters.
Roe and Sander run hands-on marine debris sculpture workshops for interested kids and adults to learn about the UpSculpting process. Upcoming North Fork workshops are on July 13 at VEME Studios in Greenport from 5-7 p.m., and on July 17 at the Mattituck-Laurel Library from 4-5 p.m. for a wreath-making project.
Volunteers are always needed to help collect and clean marine debris; for more information, check UpSculpt’s website here.
UpSculpt’s reception takes place on June 29 from 3-4:30 p.m. at the East End Seaport Museum, 100 3rd St., Greenport, 631-477-2100; contact the museum for more information.
