Bad Reputation Of Sharks Dispelled By Tampa Artist's Works

Tampa FL

04 February, 2022

3:10 PM

Description

JTAMPA, FL — From the blockbuster 1975 film "Jaws" to the outrageous depictions of shark attacks in the campy series "Sharknado" movie series, sharks are universally viewed as vicious predators with massive teeth and an appetite for humans. South Tampa artist Jessica Adanich said it's an exaggerated and unfair representation of this vital marine creature that has led to the shark being indiscriminately hunted and slaughtered. Through her own artwork as well as collaborations with fellow environmental artists, Adanich is on a mission to change people's perceptions of sharks and advocate for the conservation of this species that is critical to the health of marine ecosystems around the world. "They are crucial apex predators in our ocean's ecosystem," Adanich said. "In order to have a healthy ocean, we need sharks. But every year around the world, about 100 million sharks are killed for their fins. Even though they are vital to the marine ecosystem, the issue often gets overlooked." Her determination to promote and protect sharks led Adanich to begin working on an art installation in 2006 while pursuing her degree in fine arts at the Cleveland Institute of Art. It also led to her decision to relocate from Ohio to Florida in 2019 to be closer to the habitat of the sharks she hopes to protect. In her art installation, "Fuzzy Sharks," Adanich reimagines the shark as a soft, fuzzy creature to change how people view these marine creatures. "Imagine if sharks were fuzzy. People would care more about their survival," she said. "They are amazing creatures that are misunderstood. Through my artwork, my mission is to change people's perception of sharks." Adanich is now seeking a plush toy manufacturer to reproduce her fuzzy sharks for commercial sales. In the meantime, she's hosting a joint exhibit with fellow marine life-loving artists. The event, called "Sharkapalooza," will take place Saturday, Feb. 5, from noon to 5 p.m. at 81Bay Brewing Company, 4465 W. Gandy Blvd., Suite 600, Tampa. "Sharkapalooza is a day for celebrating the oceans through artwork," Adanich said. It will feature ocean-themed artwork by more than a dozen Tampa Bay artists. In addition to original art, the event will include shark movies, music, the release of a special craft beer by 81Bay Brewing Company and food trucks. "This is our first event, so we are pretty pleased with the line-up and know our next Sharkapalooza will have even more," Adanich said. "Fuzzy Sharks" is just one of many art pieces Adanich has created to promote shark conservation. Among her other works are colorful shark-themed art quilts and an elaborate "shark armor" piece crocheted from metal wire. Jessica AdaniichHere are two samples of Jessica Adanich's art quilts, one titled "Bycatch" and the other "Orca Versus Great White."Jessica AdanichJessica Adanich's piece, "Shark Armor" was created by embroidering metal wire. Adanich's accompanying campaign, "Fuzzy Sharks: Rethinking & Saving Sharks Through Art," features other shark-related works she's created including a children's book she wrote and illustrated, called "Behind the Glass with Sherman the Shark," which revolves around a loveable shark character to dispel children's myths and fears about sharks. She said the campaign is based on the theory of "biophilia," a word coined by Harvard naturalist and biologist Dr. Edward O. Wilson in the late 1970s to describe humanity's innate instinct to be drawn toward nature and its creatures. "Biophilia is the idea that we are drawn and attached to things that are adorable and aesthetically pleasing," Adanich said. The fact that sharks seems to be the antithesis of this theory is what led Adanich to create her "fuzzy sharks." "In our society, sharks have received the wrong impression due to their appearance and bad reputation perpetuated in popular culture and media," she said. "Though sharks have been alive for more than 400 million years, their populations have declined drastically due to human actions over the last three decades. It is estimated that 100 million sharks die each year due to bycatch (fishermen catching and discarding fish they do not want), longline fishing and finning (the practice of cutting off the shark's fins and then throwing the shark back in the water.)" In addition to her Fuzzy Sharks campaign, Adanich used her education in industrial design, graphic design, sculpture and glass as well as her early work experience in the design departments of major companies Vitamix, Hasbro NERF and Mace, to found her own design studio, DesignPod Studio, in the fall of 2018. For more information about Adanich and her campaign, click here.