Angela Haseltine Pozzi facts for kids

Angela Haseltine Pozzi is an amazing American artist born in 1957. She turns ocean trash into incredible sculptures! Angela uses plastic waste found on beaches to create giant art pieces like polar bears, puffins, jellyfish, and octopuses. She also started an organization called Washed Ashore to help clean up our oceans and teach people about plastic pollution.

Angela's Early Life and Learning

Angela Haseltine Pozzi was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1957. She grew up in a family of artists and spent a lot of time near the beautiful Oregon coast. This early love for the ocean and art shaped her future.

Angela went to the University of Utah and earned a degree in education in 1984. Later, in 1990, she got her Master's degree in Education from Portland State University, focusing on teaching art.

Her Journey to Art and Ocean Cleanup

Angela was a teacher for 30 years, helping many students learn and grow. After a difficult time in her life in 2002, she found comfort and healing by spending time near the ocean.

While on the Oregon coast, she noticed a big problem: lots of plastic pollution washing up on the beaches. She realized the ocean needed healing too! Angela learned more about how plastic harms sea animals and their homes.

In 2012, she decided to take action and founded the Washed Ashore Project. This amazing project collects plastic trash from beaches, especially near Bandon, Oregon. With this collected plastic, Angela and her team create huge sculptures of marine life.

So far, over 10,000 volunteers have helped the Washed Ashore project. They have collected more than 40,000 pounds of plastic waste! From this trash, they have created over 70 incredible sculptures.

Her Unique Art Style

Angela Pozzi creates colorful sculptures using everyday items that people throw away, like plastic bottles and bags. Her art pieces are very large and show different sea creatures. Some of her famous sculptures include a polar bear, a puffin, a jellyfish, and an octopus.

She often gives her sculptures human names, making them feel more alive. For example, one of her sculptures is called Edward the Leatherback Sea Turtle.

Angela uses her art to teach people about protecting our planet. She wants everyone to think about how much plastic we use and how it affects the ocean and its animals. Her sculptures are a powerful way to show the problem and inspire people to make a difference.