WHO:  NSU, Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) at the Carpenter House; Free our Seas and Beyond; SURFRIDER Foundation of Broward County; Broward County Parks and Recreation; and the City of Hollywood

WHAT:  Inaugural Free Our Seas & Beyond Environmental Art Festival

WHERE: Broward County Parks’ Historic Carpenter House on Hollywood Beach , 4414 N. Surf Road

WHEN:  10 a.m. Sat. April 21

Captain – the MEEC’s Resident Green Sea Turtle

WHY:  This inaugural art festival was created to harness the power of art to connect with the environment, to shine a light on solutions and to inspire and educate as a way to create change. Art inspired by nature, as well as upcycled and recycled environmentally themed pieces, will be on display to highlight our connection with the ocean while raising awareness of the impact of single-use plastics on our marine life, waterways and beaches.

The event begins at 10 a.m. with a beach clean-up sponsored by the SURFRIDER Foundation of Broward County. Then from noon – 5 p.m., original, inspiring works of art will be on display at the Carpenter House. There will be live performances, food trucks, children’s activities, a photo booth and much more.

Scheduled to appear are chalk muralist Carrie Bennett; sand sculptor John May; Captain Honk; TRASHformation award-winning artist SusieQ as well as students from St. Thomas Aquinas, South Broward, Fort Lauderdale, South Plantation high schools and Beachside Montessori Village.

This community event is free and open to the public – and is an awesome story and photo/video opportunity.