07/28/2026
What happens when young people experience pollution firsthand—and are challenged to turn what they discover into something powerful?
Zulay participated in last year’s City of St. Petersburg-sponsored Artivism program, where she joined Water Warrior Alliance for a Watergoat cleanup at Bartlett Park. While exploring Salt Creek, she noticed paint chips peeling from a pipe over the bridge. Salt Creek flows into Lake Maggiore, a vital part of our local ecosystem and home to plenty of alligators.
Zulay transformed what she saw into art.
She created an upcycled alligator using recycled paper, plastic, sea glass, soda can tabs and even the paint chips she collected from the site. Her artwork connected the pollution she witnessed with the wildlife and waterways affected by it.
“I learned about Watergoats and about how most water pollution is actually from storm drains—around 80%.” — Zulay
This is what Artivism: Vision to Voice is all about: giving young people real environmental experiences and helping them turn those experiences into art, stories and action.
This fall, students will explore local waterways, participate in hands-on environmental activities, create with recovered and upcycled materials, build confidence and learn how their creativity can inspire change.
They won’t just make art. They’ll create art with a story, a purpose and a voice.
Join us this fall for the City of St. Petersburg-sponsored Artivism: Vision to Voice youth workshops. Registration is free, but space is limited.
Learn more and register:
https://www.waterwarrioralliance.org/artivism
