Jessica Basi
Anne’s College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Education Leadership and Policy Studies (EdD)
Plastic Pelican
I was born and raised in South Florida, growing up in and around the ocean. I began offshore fishing with my family at a very young age and developed a love and respect for the diverse, unique ecosystems found throughout the southern half of the peninsula. I received my Bachelor of Science from Nova Southeastern University and Master of Science Degree in Applied Sociology from the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute. Currently, I am a doctoral candidate at FSU in the EdD program. I have been an educator for over twenty years and currently teach AP Psychology at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Our son, Jonah, is an FSU Honors College student, and my husband and I live with two adopted dogs and one adopted cat.
My artwork is both sculptural and two-dimensional, as I work with plastic debris and lumber that, with the help of student volunteers, my organization harvests from South Florida canals and rivers. In 2020, my son and I started an environmental NGO that, to date, has removed over 10,000 pounds of trash and debris from local waterways. These waterways are home to diverse, unique flora and fauna species, many of which are endemic to Florida. My challenge as an artist is to use what we find to create stunning images depicting the beautiful and imperiled marine life and bird species that serve as important symbols of the unique land- and oceanscapes of the State of Florida. Many of the species represented in my work are threatened or endangered. As a South Florida native, I know that time is running out. The unfettered, unprecedented urbanization of South Florida has given way to massive amounts of trash and debris, sewage spills, and harmful fuel and fertilizer runoff into our already fragile waterways and marine ecosystems. My artwork serves as a stark reminder that we share this world with other species that we cannot afford to continue to ignore.
Artwork Description:
A brown pelican in plastic using upcycled materials that cause potential harm to these birds.