VISUAL ARTS

Long before humans first appeared on Earth, sharks were swimming the seas. They predate dinosaurs by about 200 million years and were revered by ancient human societies as gods. Sharks come in all shapes and sizes. There are angel sharks, basking sharks, blues sharks, bull sharks, gray sharks, lemon sharks, sleeper sharks, and tiger sharks, among many other varieties. Not only are they found in every ocean of the world, but in many rivers and lakes as well. This major exhibition has been organized by the Museum of Art in association with Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center.

It is guest curated by acclaimed wildlife artist, author and environmentalist Richard Ellis, who is working to bring together both art and science in documenting the world’s never-ending fascination with these celebrated creatures of the sea. In addition to drawings of all the known varieties of sharks in the world, the exhibition contains photographs, sculptures, and video as well as a section devoted to the sensational impact of the 1975 Steven Spielberg film Jaws. In recent years, attention has turned to protecting the habitats of these magnificent animals and the exhibition documents advances made those areas as well, including the July 2011 banning of all commercial shark fishing by the island nation of the Bahamas.