SANIBEL-CAPTIVA SHELL CLUB “Shelly,” a full-size mannequin dressed in shells from Southwest Florida — along with a few exotics — will be part of a live auction at the Sanibel Shell Show on March 8-9 in Fort Myers.

Shell lovers will have the chance to celebrate everything shell related at two upcoming events.

Presented by the Sanibel Community Association and Shellcrafters, the 87th Annual Sanibel Shell Festival will take place on March 7-9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Community House on Sanibel. Just across the Sanibel Causeway, the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club will host the Sanibel Shell Show on March 8-9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Fort Myers.

SANIBEL SHELL FESTIVAL

The Sanibel Shell Festival will feature a mix of shells and shell art, crafts and local art vendors, shell artistic displays with a People’s Choice Award, live mollusk tanks and more for the whole family.

“It’s a fundraiser for The Community House,” Shellcrafters member Cheri Bailey, event co-chair with Lynne Butkiewicz, said. “We wanted to have something the community could get involved with.”

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE One of the pieces donated by members of the Sanibel-Captiva Art League that will be available for purchase at the 87th Annual Sanibel Shell Festival on March 7-9 on Sanibel.

“It’s family-orientated and a place to go and have some fun,” she added.

There will be more than 30 participating vendors with arts and crafts items and wares for sale.

“We will also have individual shells for sale,” she said. “And we will be selling all of our products, which include the shell arrangements, shell art, painted shells — everything you can think of.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to view displays of painted shells, shell arrangements, pictures of shells and such that were submitted, then vote on their favorite to earn the People’s Choice Award.

Bailey noted that students at The Sanibel School have pieces in the show.

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA SHELL CLUB Known for her sailor's valentines, Japanese artist Hatsue Iimuro is an exhibitor in the Sanibel Shell Show on March 8-9 in Fort Myers.

There are individuals who are bringing works from their own personal collections just for viewing. Also, Sanibel-Captiva Art League members have donated sea, sand, shell and island artwork for sale.

“There’s going to be a video playing about the life of a mollusk,” she said.

Taught by Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium Associate Director of Education Jorden Falker, students from the island school will docent the live tanks and answer questions.

“There’s going to be touch tanks,” Bailey said.

Families can stop by the children’s table.

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE Tia's Kitchen will serve up treats at the 87th Annual Sanibel Shell Festival on March 7-9 on Sanibel.

“Kids will be able to paint shells and do their own shell crafts,” she said.

Attendees can bid in a silent auction, with the winners to be announced on March 9 at 2 p.m.

“They’re all shell related. We’ve gotten several pristine shells and items that people have donated,” Bailey said. “There are shell arrangements — we’ll even have a junonia and a fossil junonia.”

Food and beverages will be available, including Tia’s Kitchen food truck.

Admission is a $5 donation, and it comes with a small bag of shells and a buy one, get one 50% off entry to the shell museum.

The community is encouraged to come out.

“This festival started over 87 years ago, and the island affair was so well loved it was one of the many reasons for building The Community House,” TCH Executive Director Teresa Riska-Hall said. “It is a unique opportunity to bring the community together, enriching lives while keeping historical traditions flourishing.”

The shell museum is an event sponsor and Tia’s Kitchen is donating a portion of its proceeds.

For more information, visit https://sanibelcommunityhouse.net/.

The Community House is at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.

SANIBEL SHELL SHOW

The Sanibel Shell Show will feature a juried show with scientific and artistic exhibits and awards, marine and shell vendors, a live mollusk display, a youth scavenger hunt and more for all ages.

“It’s our annual fundraiser,” club member and event Chair Linda Graves Arnold said.

The proceeds fund research and education grants for non-profits, like the shell museum and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Commission. They also support work in water quality, conservation, malacology and conchology for researchers and graduates at Florida Gulf Coast University and other institutions.

There will be more than 300 exhibits in the show this year because of the larger venue — it typically takes place in conjunction with the festival at TCH. The scientific and artistic divisions will include exhibitors from all across the country and farther, including three from Japan and one from Australia.

“We have student exhibitors in both the artistic and scientific,” she said.

As the longest-running shell show, it is widely respected and acclaimed worldwide.

“It is highly competitive,” Arnold said. “We have a lot of ribbons and awards that go out.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to browse 20-plus vendors showcasing nearly 70 tables worth of merchandise, including the shell museum, dealers with specimen-quality shells, ones with shells for crafting and shell-crafted items, sailor’s valentines and more, even shell- and beach-themed dog treats.

“It’s not just shell crafts, it’s a wide range of things,” she said.

There will be a marine biologist from the shell museum with live mollusks, along with museum curator and Science Director Dr. José H. Leal and renowned shell expert Kevan Sutherland to identify shells.

“If people want to bring in shells that they cannot identify,” Arnold said.

Children can search for a list of items in the scavenger hunt, learning about shells and shell crafting along the way, then return their answers for a prize — their own shell. “Shelly,” a full-size mannequin dressed entirely in shells and made by Sanibel artists Andrea Schopf and Arnold, will be a must see.

“We created Shelly as sort of a fun thing to greet people when they come to the show,” she said, explaining that the piece is decorated with a variety of Southwest Florida shells, plus a few exotics.

It will be part of a live auction on March 9 at 2 p.m. Attendees can place their bid at the club’s booth on both days. Those unable to attend can contact newtard1234@gmail.com in advance to place their bid.

There will also be raffles for prizes like shelling boat trips, roundtrip on the Key West Express, snorkel masks, Barbara B. Mann tickets, a custom-painted shirt and a gift basket by island artists and more.

“We have about 15 different items,” Arnold said. “We have a wide variety.”

Admission is a requested $5 cash donation, and it comes with a bag of shells — collected on Sanibel’s beaches and bagged by club members — and a wristband for discounted purchases across the island.

The community is encouraged to come out.

“People flock from all over the world,” President Karen Silverstein said. “They come to learn from and admire the amazing artistic and scientific exhibits, to touch live mollusks, to have their discoveries identified, to purchase beautiful collector quality shells and shell-related items and to share their love of shells with others.”

Major event sponsors include the shell museum, Bill Smith Appliances, Hemingway Water Shuttle, MudBugs Cajun Kitchen, Carol Periard, Gussie Ross and Phyllis Sharp.

For more information, visit https://sanibelshellclub.com/.

The Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa is at 17260 Harbour Pointe Drive, Fort Myers.

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IF YOU GO

What

87th Annual Sanibel Shell Festival

When

March 7-9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where

The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Details

Admission is a $5 donation

IF YOU GO

What

Sanibel Shell Show

When

March 8-9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where

Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa, 17260 Harbour Pointe Drive, Fort Myers

Details

Admission is a requested $5 cash donation