CONTAIN YOURSELF
by JOEL dean stockdill and yustina salnikova
On Friday, March 15 2019, The Midway Gallery in San Francisco, CA opened its doors for Ocean-Bound: Plastic Waste and Why We Are Bound to the Health of Our Oceans, a multidisciplinary exhibition and panel series, presented in partnership with Lonely Whale, bringing local advocates, renowned artists, powerful musicians, and delicious food to the table.
Participants were asked to explore the blown-up, hyperrealistic drawings of the world’s icebergs by Zaria Forman, larger-than-life inflatable sculptures by Jana Cruder and Matthew LaPenta, and recycled waste sculptures by Joel Dean Stockdill and Yustina Salnikova.
Building 180 helped in conceiving and pitching the project idea to the Midway and provided art curatorial services, such as bringing in artist duo, Joel Dean Stockdill and Yustina Salnikova’s Contain Yourself.
Contain Yourself is a sculpture built from discarded water bottles, calling attention to the myth of recycling and encouraging visitors to reduce their environmental footprint.
As a result of this show the Midway became the first music venue in San Francisco to commit to move away from single use plastic. Before the end of 2018, The Midway made the commitment to transition away from single-use-plastic water bottles with the help of our friends, Lonely Whale.
Lonely Whale is an organization founded in 2013, dedicated to bringing people closer to the world’s oceans through education and awareness, inspiring empathy and action for ocean health and the wellbeing of marine wildlife.
This ocean-friendly move, driven by The Midway Gallery & Artist Studios team, saved over 25,000 plastic bottles on New Years Eve 2018 alone!
