Earth Day Cleanup with the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
April 22, 2025 @ 1:00PM — 3:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA): 2200 Parks Ave Virginia Beach, VA 23451 Get Directions
Celebrate Earth Day the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art!
Please join the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in cleaning up the area around the museum and Beach Garden Park. We will gather for supplies and instructions in the MOCA parking lot and divide up to tackle the work. Waders and boots are helpful in some areas, please bring them if you would like to go into the mucky areas. Detailed instructions and maps will be sent to those that registered closer to the event.
A major focus of Virginia MOCA's current exhibition Duke Riley: O’er the Wide and Plastic Sea is marine debris—the plastic waste that pollutes our oceans and shorelines. Riley’s work turns discarded plastic into intricate mosaics, transforming everyday trash into powerful storytelling. His sailor’s valentines, traditionally made with seashells, now feature colorful bits of single-use plastic, reflecting the overwhelming presence of pollution in our waters.
The galleries will be closed to the public on the day of the cleanup (a Tuesday), but volunteers are invited to visit Wednesday–Sunday, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM. Admission is free for Virginia residents. O'er the Wide and Plastic Sea will be on view through August 31.
LRNow hosts cleanups along our Virginia Beach waterways to remove marine debris, improve water quality, and keep our city’s waters healthy and safe. Cleanups may be land-based and/or water-based depending on the location chosen for any given month. Please review all details carefully so you know what to expect when you arrive.
Appropriate dress and shoe wear are required. Cleanups usually occur in brushy, thorny, and muddy terrain which require full body protection. Closed-toed, sturdy shoes that can get wet and dirty should be worn for land-based cleanups. Water shoes are appropriate in kayaks only. Bare feet are never permitted. Hats, sunscreen, insect repellent and a reusable water bottle are recommended.