You may have noticed these colorful jellyfish in Downtown Cary Park underneath the library bridge. “A Smack Of Jellyfish” is an installation made by Bryant Holsenbeck, a mixed media environmental artist, activist, educator and author based in Durham, North Carolina.
Working with students, Holsenbeck used plastic debris from our waterways and oceans to make the large-scale installation. With the help from teachers, art students and environmental students at Green Level High School and the Oceans Nicholes School of Environmental studies at Duke University, the installation showcases plastic material and rope debris from our waterways and oceans, repurposed into a smack of jellyfish floating overhead. It will be on view through March , so there is still time to go and check out the installation for yourself.
Previously shown in Bond Park for Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival in 2024, this installation is currently featured at Downtown Cary Park underneath the library bridge and is featured in GLOW.
Holsenbeck uses a variety of both natural and human-made materials to create art out of repurposed items that might otherwise be discarded. Her artwork includes wrapping and weaving techniques, wire sculpting, small animal sculptures and large-scale installations.
Holsenbeck’s environmental art conveys importance of wildlife, draws attention to ecological devastation and the abundance of plastic waste in the United States, and promotes environmental stewardship.