Gull Glides to Visitor Center

Cliodna ("Clean-ah"), the herring gull made of of plastic, glides to the Cape Cod Visitor Center on Rt 6 in Yarmouth, bringing both a work of art and a vibrant statement about plastics pollution.

Who is Cliodna?

23 August 2024 - YARMOUTH, MA -  "Artivist" Sarah Thornington unveiled her latest creation — a Herring Gull named Cliodna (Clean-ah) - at the Cape Cod Welcome Center on Route 6. Thornington said her art was created from post-consumer and marine debris plastics - and serves both as public arts and as a statement of awareness about plastic pollution.

The subject, its name, and its medium all reflect on the vast volumes of plastics in our oceans. Gull, of course, pick at trash. Cliodna is a Celtic goddess of the sea and the pronunciation -- "Clean-ah" --  offers a reminder about actions needed. And, for course, the sculpture's building material of post-consumer plastic waste and marine debris illustrate just how much plastic trash fills our world.

Where is the sculpture?

Cliodna the plastic gull lives at the Cape Cod Visitors Center, located between former X 6 and X7 (now x 68 and x72) on Rt 6 in Yarmouth. She was built with support from  the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce and CARE for the Cape and Islands to help visitors and residents remember to take care of the plant

What is an artivist?

Sarah Thronington is a self described "artivist" who uses art to also make broader statements. She began working with plastics as a source material after a personal beach walking and trash collecting project highlighted the sheer volume of plastics on the shore.

What materials form the gull?

Clioda the gull hatched from items gathered at the town of Yarmouth landfill and recycling bins, dumpsters, and beach cleanup collected items. Laundry detergent bottles,  sunglasses, hair clips, combs, plasic cutler, plastic sand tools, and even a  plastic trashcan lid weave together into feathers, body, tail, beak, and a beady birdy eye.

"She is a herring gull with a message" said Thornington. "Whether you live here or you visit here, be aware of your actions."

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(click photo to watch)