Ocean + Art + Education is an arts-led ocean literacy project. It grew out of lived experience, both as an art educator and through years of working closely with artists in our Ocean Virtual Art Residency.

While supporting artists during the residency, I was continually inspired by the ways they explored ocean themes through personal stories, materials, research, and emotion. Their projects showed how art can make ocean learning feel accessible, creative, and meaningful rather than abstract or overwhelming. It became clear that art can open conversations about the ocean that are playful, thoughtful, and deeply engaging, especially for young people.

This project is informed by the Venice Declaration’s understanding that ocean literacy is about more than learning ocean science. It is about recognizing the impact of our actions and fostering a culture of care, responsibility, and stewardship. A truly ocean-literate society values the ocean as a living system with the right to exist, flourish, and regenerate.

Through Ocean + Art + Education, we collaborate with past residency artists to develop art-based lesson plans inspired by the projects they created during the residency. These lessons are designed to be flexible and accessible, allowing educators to bring ocean topics into classrooms and learning spaces through creativity, making, and reflection.

By placing artists and artistic processes at the center of ocean education, this project aims to inspire curiosity, empathy, and action, supporting the next generation of ocean advocates and contributing to a more just and sustainable relationship with our shared global ocean.

Ocean + Art + Education is currently in development, and we are working closely with artists and educators to shape the curriculum. We look forward to sharing the completed project soon and inviting learning communities to engage with these resources once they are ready.