Art with a bite: Shark Art Cape Cod show at Mashpee Commons is free

Shark Week on TV may be over, but Mashpee Commons is still swimming strong with its 2nd Annual Shark Art Cape Cod, running through July 28.

The free exhibition offers the chance to buy shark- and ocean-themed art from more than a dozen local artists. A $40 entry fee paid by each artist will benefit the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy , which will have a table at the exhibition with info about sharks.

“We have about 15 artists, and most of the art is shark-focused but there’s also ocean art ― seals, whales, turtles, we’re trying to tell the whole story," said Neil Collins, a Mashpee artist who organized the exhibition.

A free reception with snacks will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 25 at 5 North St. (between CVS and Starbuck’s), followed at 8:30 p.m. by a free showing of the movie “Jaws” on Mashpee Commons’ Village Green.

The exhibit and sale are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

2024 is the 50th anniversary of Peter Benchley’s iconic novel "Jaws," and next year is the 50th anniversary of the movie by the same name. Collins said this year’s exhibit pays homage to the book.

“Peter Benchley was going to quit writing,” Collins said. “A supporter gave him $1,000 for 100 pages of a story with … a fisherman in 1964 who had a story about a shark.”

The wall of books by Cape Cod authors includes books with no connection to “Jaws” but also brought to light some coincidences. Author Terri Arthur, who is trained as a nurse and wrote several history-based books about World War I nurse Edith Cavell, told Collins she was an uncredited extra in the “Jaws” hospital scene.

In addition to a book wall and paintings priced from $100 to thousands, the exhibit includes sculptures: Robert Tallman of Cotuit carved sharks from stones and rocks; Rachel Paolino of Dennis crafted a four-foot metal shark and Kristin Canto of Marion created a stained-glass shark and impressions of the predators in wood burning.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Art with a bite: Shark Art Cape Cod show at Mashpee Commons is free