Makers & Mediums

Shell Art & Decoupage

Long Island's bays leave behind more than dinner. For generations, local artists have turned conch, whelk, oyster, and scallop into sculpture, jewelry, mosaics, lamps, and folk art. This is a living directory of the makers keeping that tradition alive — and the new voices reshaping it.

Wampum — A Long Island Native Tradition — wampum beads made from whelk and quahog shells
Whelk and quahog clamshell beads

Wampum — A Long Island Native Tradition

Long Island & the Northeast Woodlands

Long before Long Island bore that name, the Algonquian-speaking peoples of its shores — the Shinnecock, Montaukett, Unkechaug, and their neighbors — gathered whelk and quahog from the bays to craft wampum. The white beads came from the spiral columns of whelk shells; the prized purple from the inner lip of the quahog. Each bead was drilled, polished, and strung by hand, then woven into belts that recorded treaties, marked alliances, carried condolence, and passed history between generations. Wampum was never simply currency. It was language, memory, and ceremony — a sacred art form shaped by the same waters that still ring the Island today, and a living tradition the Shinnecock Nation and other Long Island tribes continue to practice.

Conch, whelk, oyster, scallop

Add a Featured Artist

Long Island, NY

We're building a directory of Long Island shell artists. If you work in conch, oyster, clam, or scallop — or know someone who does — reach out and we'll feature them here.

Are you a Long Island shell artist?

We'd love to feature your work. Send a few images, your location, and a link to your shop or portfolio and we'll add you to the directory. Sculptors, jewelers, mosaicists, lamp-makers, and folk artists all welcome.