Work of art in ceramic, sculpture, wood, and trash by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers". Each year, at least 8.8 million tons of plastics are leaked into the ocean: the equivalent of dumping the contents of one garbage trucks into the ocean every minute. The ocean currents carry this trash and dump it onto beaches. The crisis is of massive proportion. An unprecedented plastic tide has occurred, pervasively affecting the world’s oceans, beaches, coasts, seafloor, animals and ultimately, us.

Work of art in ceramic sculpture, steel, trash by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers". Each year, at least 8.8 million tons of plastics are leaked into the ocean: the equivalent of dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute. Unless corrective action is taken, this figure is expected to increase to two trucks per minute by 2030, and four per minute by 2050.The oceans currently hold over 150 million tons of plastic waste.

Work of art in newspaper by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers". Fish created from current newspaper headlines about the degradation of the oceans

Work of art in ceramic and bronze sculptures by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers".

Work of art in Ceramic and bronze (detail of exhibition) by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers".

Work of art in ceramic sculptures by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers".

Work of art in ceramic, sculpture, wood, and trash by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers".

Work of art of Performance by artist Traci O’Dwyer as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Of My Own Making".

Work of art of tea bags, string, book, Secret Life of Objects by artist Traci O’Dwyer as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Of My Own Making".

Artist Statement from the MFA Exhibition: "Through my art I strive to raise awareness towards the protection of the ocean. Plastic pollution, over-fishing, species extinction, and nuclear waste are some of the problems I symbolize in order to create conversations around the issues and do my part in starting a wave of change. The ocean is one interconnected circulatory system for our plane,t so anywhere that humans are abusing the oceans, it affects us all. I hope to remind people of the sacredness of the sea in order to help renew our reverence and respect for it."

Work of art in ceramic sculpture and bronze by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers". Coral reefs around the world are dying at an increased rate. The Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for 1,400 miles along Australia’s coast, suffered an unprecedented coral bleaching event in the summer of 2016, followed by another bleaching event in 2017. The impact of these two back to back bleaching events has coral reef ecologists documenting that over half the coral has died. The Great Barrier Reef was always considered the most stable and protected reef system in the world, but now we are losing one of the seven wonders of the world for the next generation.

Work of art in ceramic, sculpture, and bronze by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers". Angelfish are reminders of the sacredness of the sea.

Work of art of gallery detail by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers".

Work of art in vinyl and post its by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers". Interactive art about the environmental threats to the ocean. Called participants to include prayersor ideas, or to speak out

Work of art in ceramic sculpture and wood by artist Amy Wachal as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Angelfish Prayers".

Work of art of tea bags, string, book, Secret Life of Objects by artist Traci O’Dwyer as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Of My Own Making".

Work of art of tea bags, string, book, Secret Life of Objects by artist Traci O’Dwyer as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Of My Own Making".

Work of art in Thread, plaster by artist Kyung Hee IM as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Entanglement"

Work of art in Thread, plaster by artist Kyung Hee IM as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Entanglement"

Work of art in Thread, plaster by artist Kyung Hee IM as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Entanglement"

Work of art in bronze, patina by artist Russell Anderson as part of his 2021 exhibition, entitled "Modified Aesthetics on an Inner Space".

Work of art in Thread, plaster by artist Kyung Hee IM as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Entanglement"