The Beauty Through Toxicity art display in the Student Union aims to raise awareness about the danger of plastic in the ocean through interaction with that plastic in the form of art.
Denise Hughes, a local artist originally from Charlotte, said her work with murals made from recyclable plastics was born from a love of sea animals and the dangers they face from that plastic being thrown into the ocean.
“What I’m trying to do is bring the issue to the forefront,” she said. “Because on the East Coast we do not see the effects of the plastic in our ocean as dramatically, whereas the West Coast and many other countries do. When I’m collecting caps and other plastics, it's raising awareness with different communities.”
Hughes said her choice to display her work at the Union was intentional.
“It reaches a huge and diverse group who walk through the Student Union daily,” she said. “I wanted people to see the work and feel like, however small their part is, they can still be a part of saving our seas.”
UNC Sustainability director Cindy Shea said the event captures the goals of the Three Zeroes Initiative, which advocates for zero waste to landfills, net zero water usage and net zero greenhouse gas emissions at UNC. She said she sees the event as a reminder for students about the importance of committing to protect the environment.
“What we hope is that people are reminded of what a biologically diverse world we inhabit,” she said. “We hope that people are committed to protecting marine habitat.”
Tait Chandler, special assistant to the director of energy services at UNC, said he was inspired to bring Hughes’s work to UNC after seeing a portrait made by her at University Mall. He said he felt it was a perfect way for students to connect with the work his department does.
“We’re hoping this project will raise awareness of the amount of plastic that students are using,” he said. “When you look at the project, you see the amount of plastic used in a day.”
