Artistic Oysters

The North Carolina Azalea Festival chose local artist and Wilmington native Ana Brown as its official artist. During an unveiling at Bluewater Grill in Wrightsville Beach in October, Brown’s work was honored for its unique reimagining of discarded oyster shells as azalea petals.

This was the first time a mixed-media creation had been selected as an artistic presentation for the festival, which is now in its 76th year.

“The intention was to create something that would not be tied to one specific memory of the festival, such as the street fair or garden party, but instead something that would focus solely on what the event was named for,” Brown says.

For anyone who has visited Wilmington or made the city their home, the spring is likely to conjure memories of fresh oysters and blooming azaleas. That is at least partially why Brown chose crushed oyster shells for the background in her work.

“I was very grateful to be chosen for this, and very happy that the work was so well received,” she says.

Brown also paints murals, oil, and acrylic on canvas. A former Azalea Belle, she founded the Blue Ribbon Run to honor her sister, who lost a battle with colorectal cancer. Brown is also a relationship manager with Welcome Home Angel, a nonprofit that works to bring joy to children with significant health conditions by creating happier, more functional living spaces.

Repurposing oyster shells into art is a passion project for Brown, who has two side businesses with that focus:  SeaJules and TwoOysters. It flows with the idea that oyster shells are vital to the North Carolina coast, as they can be used to build or restore oyster reefs within waterways.

To protect our environment, the North Carolina Coastal Federation is working to restore and create new oyster reefs, which can clean estuaries, provide essential habitat for a variety of marine life, and reduce sound-side erosion.