A.R.R.R.T. which stands for ARTIVISM: REIMAGINE, RECYCLE, REPURPOSE FOR TEXAS is Mermaid Society's new creative community programming initiative that merges art, activism, and environmental stewardship to inspire positive change through creative expression.

At Mermaid Society, we're all about promoting an ARRRTful lifestyle! A.R.R.R.T, which stands for ARTIVISM: REIMAGINE, RECYCLE, REPURPOSE FOR TEXAS, marks an exciting new chapter for us. ARRRT is our new creative community programming initiative that merges art, activism, and environmental stewardship to inspire positive change through creative expression.

So, what exactly is Artivism? We love this interpretation by digital artist and activist, Nikkolas Smith: "I define artivism as using art as a tool to inspire people to make a positive change in the world. It’s like Nina Simone’s quote that it’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times, always pulling from what’s happening in the world and holding up a mirror to ourselves to say: this is what’s going on. It’s about trying to visually capture people’s attention to motivate them to fix what’s wrong."

We firmly believe in the transformative power of art to bring about change and foster a deeper connection to our natural surroundings. As the official designated Mermaid Capital of Texas, we recognize our unique opportunity to play a part in inspiring action to make a difference in our community and beyond.

Join us as we embark on this exciting journey! Through our youth eco-guardianship programming, Mermaid Festival events, and community outreach activities, we aim to inspire Texans of all ages to explore the endless possibilities of upcycling – transforming discarded materials into something useful, beautiful, and meaningful is just one way ARRRT can inspire change.

This year's Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest will serve as the grand debut of our ARRRT initiative. We're challenging all parade participants to design, decorate, and build their floats using ARRRT as their inspiration, with awards and prizes awaiting the most creative designs. Additionally, ARRRT festival hats will be a major feature, so let's start reimagining!

Through these efforts, the Mermaid Society will serve as a catalyst, highlighting the many resources our community has to offer for sustainability practices. We're excited to kick off this fun and creative journey of artivism, where each stroke of paint and every recycled bottle cap represents our commitment to building a more sustainable future for Texas and beyond.

Together, let's reimagine, recycle, and repurpose – inspiring each other and our next generation to live an ARRRTful life!