National Aquarium’s Artscape Teaches Sustainability

As a part of Our Last Straw‘s ongoing relationship with the National Aquarium we participated in Baltimore’s annual Artscape event. Drawing in approximately 350,000 visitors annually, Our Last Straw was a proud participant as this year’s Artscape theme was straws.

We worked closely with the team at the National Aquarium to commission a unique art piece composed of single-use plastic straws created by visual artist Kasey Jones. A Ripple Effect transforms 225,000 straws into a large-scale, interactive, illuminated relief map of the Chesapeake Bay. Sparking dialogue about the negative effects single-use plastics have on our waterways, this piece was designed to empower the viewer to take simple actions in order to create a “ripple effect” of positive change.

The Our Last Straw team was on hand to help event goers experience A Ripple Effect and to encourage attendees to take a pledge to take that initial step to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics – or any personal effort or change where they feel they can have a positive impact – to better our planet.

“We believe plastic pollution is an issue we can solve in our lifetime,” said Campaign Director, Julie Sharkey. “Eliminating plastic straws can be the first step in effecting change. By bringing awareness to plastic straws and the negative impact they have on the health of our planet, we hope to inspire others to #StopSucking.”

Farmers Restaurant Group has been leading the charge for change for years. “Launching Our Last Straw was one of our many steps toward sustainable operations and social impact,” says Our Last Straw Founder and Co-Owner, Dan Simons. “Next up? Plastic forks, to-go containers, and more.”

As the area’s largest art festival, Artscape free to all visitors and dedicated to enlivening Baltimore’s creative landscape through four key artistic elements: visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, and culinary arts.