From May through September 2026\, the Topeka Zoo &\; Conservation Center\, in collaboration with the Topeka Rotary Club\, will bring the internationally recognized Washed Ashore®\; exhibit to Topeka.
\n\nThis powerful outdoor exhibit features six monumental sculptures of ocean animals\, all created from discarded plastic and other debris collected primarily along coastlines. Each piece tells a story&mdash\;about our everyday choices\, plastic pollution\, and the shared responsibility we have to protect our planet.
\n\nWashed Ashore®\; transforms trash into thought-provoking art\, making the invisible impacts of plastic pollution visible from northeast Kansas to the global ocean.
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Washed Ashore®\; is a globally recognized art and education project that uses marine debris to create sculptures of ocean wildlife affected by plastic pollution.
\n\nEvery sculpture is built entirely from materials that were once discarded&mdash\;bottles\, toys\, packaging\, and other single-use plastics&mdash\;highlighting the urgent need to rethink how we use and dispose of plastic.
\n\nThe message is simple: \;what we throw away doesn&rsquo\;t go away.
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Six sculptures will be displayed across Topeka\, encouraging exploration throughout the community:
\nKansas Children'\;s Discovery Center
\nTopeka and Shawnee County Public Library
\nWashburn University Memorial Union
\nNOTO Arts Center
\nTopeka Zoo &\; Conservation Center