Turtle Sculpture Unveiled at Venice Beach

An innovative and educational new turtle sculpture now greets beachgoers at Venice Beach. The public artwork—a gift to the City of Venice from Gulf Coast Community Foundation for our 25th anniversary—was unveiled January 22 by representatives from the City and Gulf Coast at a small, socially distanced but celebratory dedication.

The larger-than-life aluminum turtle will double as a receptacle to display plastic and aluminum recyclables, helping to teach visitors about the dangers of plastic marine debris and the benefits of recycling.

“We want to fill this turtle with plastic that might otherwise be left on the beach and end up in the Gulf of Mexico, so that real sea turtles and other wildlife out there don’t swallow it instead,” said Jon Thaxton, senior vice president for community investment at the foundation. “Our local economy and quality of life depend on clean, healthy waterways and vibrant sea life. This stunning piece of art will also teach vital lessons in conservation.”

Spotlighting the environment

As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, Gulf Coast wanted to spotlight our extensive collaborative work on the environment in a way the whole community could appreciate. The thoughtfully designed, aquatic-themed art was created not only as a literal container for recyclables but also as an environmental education opportunity.

When plastics get into the Gulf of Mexico or other waterways, the trash breaks down into smaller pieces but never decomposes completely. These microplastics degrade the quality and health of ocean habitats and harm the marine life that winds up ingesting them. Collecting recyclable waste at the beach and displaying it inside the sculpture both keeps it out of the water and offers a visual learning opportunity for residents and visitors.

Thaxton said that creating the sculpture in the form of a much-loved animal resident of the area gives viewers, especially children, an instant connection to the negative impact this litter can have and a reason to work to prevent that.

Increasing recycling

The first bins of cleaned recyclables were placed inside the sculpture during the unveiling event. James Clinch, the City of Venice’s director of public works and asset management, said, “This is a beautiful piece of art, but it’s also an educational piece that will promote not only awareness of the plastics issue but also recycling. It has been about a year since the City switched to single-stream recycling, and that has been a great effort that has increased our recycling overall.” 

Clinch thanked the Venice City Council and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for approving the concept, and he thanked his Public Works staff for installing the sculpture. “Our staff never shies away from new challenges and things they’ve never done before,” he said. “Now they can put ‘turtle engineer’ on their resumes!”

Gulf Coast commissioned Asolo Repertory Theatre’s master designer Jeff Dean to design and construct the turtle sculpture. Made of outdoor-grade aluminum, it was built to withstand the elements in its beachside location. “We looked all around the country for a fabricator that could produce a turtle sculpture of the quality that the community of Venice expects,” said Thaxton, “and we found the best right here at home in the Asolo Rep scene shop.”

A second turtle sculpture will be installed within the main beach access area at Siesta Beach in Sarasota during the spring. Other local beaches have also expressed interest in obtaining similar sculptures at their locations.