Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
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.
This 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—about our everyday choices, plastic pollution, and the shared responsibility we have to protect our planet.
Washed Ashore® transforms trash into thought-provoking art, making the invisible impacts of plastic pollution visible from northeast Kansas to the global ocean.
See the Impact of Plastic Pollution Up Close
Washed Ashore® is a globally recognized art and education project that uses marine debris to create sculptures of ocean wildlife affected by plastic pollution.
Every sculpture is built entirely from materials that were once discarded—bottles, toys, packaging, and other single-use plastics—highlighting the urgent need to rethink how we use and dispose of plastic.
The message is simple: what we throw away doesn’t go away.
Six Sculptures. One Community. One Message.
Six sculptures will be displayed across Topeka, encouraging exploration throughout the community:
Kansas Children's Discovery Center
Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
Washburn University Memorial Union
NOTO Arts Center
Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center
Video
Images
Date and Time
Monday Sep 7, 2026
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM CDT
Location
Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center
635 SW Gage
Topeka, KS 66606
Fees/Admission
Admission pricing before sales tax and are subject to change. Tickets are non-refundable. *With a membership card & photo ID*
Printed courtesy of www.lawrencechamber.com/ – Contact the The Chamber, Lawrence, Kansas for more information.
718 New Hampshire St, Lawrence, KS 66044 – (785) 865-4411 – info@lawrencechamber.com