Giving a uniquely Long Island resource a new life through the arts.
The Long Island Creative Reuse Project brings together the arts, environmental stewardship, and a resource uniquely tied to our region: the Blue Point oyster.
Through a partnership between Long Island Arts Alliance and Toasted Oysters,, reclaimed authentic Blue Point oyster shells are placed in the hands of Long Island artists, arts organizations, educators, and community programs as materials for creative work.
Shells that might otherwise be discarded become artwork, teaching tools, public programs, and opportunities to explore Long Island’s coastal environment through the arts.
Oyster Shells for Creative Reuse
LIAA members can participate in the Creative Reuse Project in two ways:
Free Oyster Shells for Organizations
LIAA member organizations are invited to request free oyster shells for use as materials in public programs, workshops, events, and other creative activities.
This partnership supports arts engagement, environmental awareness, and creative reuse across Long Island by giving discarded oyster shells a new life as an arts and programming resource.
Complete our request form and a member of the LIAA team will follow up to coordinate quantities, timing, and pickup details.
Oyster Shell Packs for Artists
Cleaned and sanitized, recycled Blue Point oyster shells (approximately 2–4 inches) are available to LIAA Individual Artist members for use in artwork, creative projects, and work intended for sale.
How It Works
| Shell Pack | Member Rate |
|---|---|
| 50 shells | $25 |
| 100 shells | $50 |
| 200 shells | $75 |
| 300 shells | $100 |
Shells are currently available for pickup only. Quantities are subject to availability and will be coordinated with LIAA staff.
Not a member? Join or renew your LIAA membership.
Shell Distribution to Date
shells distributed
2,510
Participating Schools & Organizations
Long Island Children’s Museum
Great Neck Public Schools
Gold Coast Arts Center
National Junior Art Honor Society
Fire Island School District
Art With Soul, Inc.
Manna Fish Farms
Bellport High School
Southampton School District
Live Shell Tracker!
See Where the Shells Go
From artists’ studios to classrooms and community programs, recycled oyster shells are making their way across Long Island.
Explore our Shell Tracker to see where Creative Reuse Project shells have been distributed and the artists and organizations putting them to use. View the Live Tracker →Creative Reuse in Action
Long Island Children’s Museum
The Long Island Children’s Museum was one of the first LIAA members to put the project into action, incorporating more than 500 oyster shells into its 2026 STEM Weekend with local artist Christie Jones.
Participants created watercolor paints from earth and mineral pigments and used them to paint reclaimed oyster shells while exploring connections among natural materials, color, landscape, and local ecosystems.
The program brought art, science, and environmental awareness together in a hands-on experience rooted in Long Island’s own coastal environment.
Gold Coast Arts Center, Great Neck
The Gold Coast Arts Center utilized the recycled shells in their SummerArts Camp projects with students ages 8-14.
William A. Shine - Great Neck South High School
See the shells in action at William A. Shine Great Neck South High School, where art teacher Lisa Stancati’s Photography 2 and AP 2-D Design students transformed reclaimed Blue Point oyster shells into works exploring memory, marine ecosystems, sustainability, and preservation.
Click the image below to explore The Oyster Project 2026:
Our Partner: Toasted Oysters
Toasted Oysters is a veteran-owned oyster farm offering authentic Blue Point oysters harvested from the Great South Bay on Long Island. Their oysters are cultivated and grown in their original waters, delivering the clean, balanced flavor that made Blue Points famous.
As a New York State Grown & Certified farm and a Homegrown by Heroes producer, Toasted Oysters is committed to sustainable, environmentally responsible practices that support local ecosystems while producing exceptional shellfish.
Oysters are harvested daily so they reach customers as fresh as possible, reflecting the character of the bay they come from. Toasted Oysters brings that same focus on quality, sustainability, and community to this partnership, helping transform what is normally discarded into creative materials for Long Island’s arts and cultural sector.
More at ToastedOysters.com