Shell Expo Exhibits Creativity

To be sure, the event on Friday and Saturday at New Life Community Church was a shell expo, not a shell show. Just ask Marco Island Shell Club president Becky Miller.

"The Marco Island Shell Club Spring Expo is not a juried show,” Miller said. "That means that we don't have judges judging exhibits that are brought in by anyone that wants to exhibit something. The exhibits at the Marco Island Shell Expo are our own members' work. We do not have juried exhibits. That's the big difference. All the rest of the shell shows that are across the state are juried and judged. Ours is a club expo. That's a big difference.”

In other words, you don’t see trophies and blue ribbons at the Expo.

"No ribbons,” Miller said. “We do have the People's Choice. When people come into the show, they get a little coupon to vote for People's Choice for scientific or artistic. And they vote for the club exhibits that are here. In the end, we have two trophies. In the other shows that are actual shows, they're going to have ribbons and big prize awards. That's not what we do anymore. We just do the People's Choice Award.

The expos featured a number of scientific displays that taught shell enthusiasts about the shells they collect along Marco Beach. And there were countless shells and shell creations that huge crowds were collecting in the plastic shopping baskets.

"There are beautiful exhibits here,” Miller said, "great scientific exhibits and beautiful artistic exhibits.

Everything on display was created by the Shell Club.

“Everything here is made by people in our club,” Miller said, "and we're very proud of that because there are beautiful things here."

The club members also put a lot of effort into the scientific displays that are not for sale.

“Most of the exhibits are not for sale,” Miller said. "They might be for sale but that would be by talking to the individual artist."

Miller was pleased with the large crowd that turned out Friday.

"It's a great crowd,” Miller said. "We have wonderful people who showed up right at the beginning. Everybody seems to be finding something that they like. Some special little trinket. I see some little girls right now buying some little, tiny buckets.

The Shell Expo is a charitable event.

"All of the proceeds from our Expo and shell art sale today benefit our scholarships and educational programs,” Miller said. “We have scholarships at FGCU. We have scholarships for high school students. We have opportunities for some of the grade schools. We share money with Bailey's Shell Museum in Sanibel. We offer seminars in January, February, and March for the adults in the community, usually the first Friday of the month at the library."