What is The Abalone Collective?

The Abalone Collective enables the donation of red abalone shells from abalone divers and collectors to local Indigenous artists within the state of California, to aid in the continuation and persistence of traditional Indigenous artforms and ceremonies. This collective additionally aids in forming long term connections between communities that have historically been separated (i.e., sport divers and Indigenous communities). Donors have the opportunity to select which artists they wish to donate to via our Artist Biography Page (an anonymous donation option is available).

It is recommended that artists and donors communicate beyond the donation process, forming a pen pal based relationship in order to form a real human connection that goes beyond donating, “beyond the shell”…

Participation in this collective is helping to build connections and bridge communities. You are connecting with fellow human beings and the land, engaging in a meaningful artistic collaboration between people and planet.

All participants in this project will receive a complementary @dahoodscientist x @beyond_the_shell sticker!

When was The Abalone Collective established?

The Abalone Collective was established in 2023 and officially released in 2024 by Alexandria Firenzi, director and producer of “Beyond the Shell: A Film on the Culture and Ecology of a Scarce Marine Resource” with the help of Linda Yamane, Kanyon Sayers-Roods (Coyote Woman), and Leah Mata Frague, all Beyond the Shell collaborators and interviewees, as well as Amira Ainis, a professor of Anthropology at Cal State L.A. This project is a subproject to The Beyond the Shell Project.

Why was The Abalone Collective established?

In producing and directing “Beyond the Shell” Alexandria Firenzi learned about the lack of access to red abalone for use in art and other cultural practices through the communities she interviewed. Included in these communities were local Indigenous artists, Linda Yamane and Leah Mata Frague. At the same time Alexandria heard from all the sport divers from her previous diving days about the countless garages filled with boxes of old abalone shells from sport diving days past. The lack of shells in Indigenous communities in combination with the excess of shells in diving communities motivated Alexandria to put out a call for donations at the end of her film. Though it goes beyond donations for Alexandria, it is a sense of community and healing that she seeks. Alexandria hopes that this project may further create a platform for awareness of climate change, adaptability, and cultural heritage, she hopes this collective may serve as a place for connection and long term friendships to form between communities who have historically been separated. To learn more about The Beyond the Shell Project and to access the film check out our main page: The Beyond the Shell Project.

How do I apply to receive red abalone donations as an Indigenous artist?

In order to apply to be one of The Abalone Collective artists you will be asked to provide: (1) your Tribal affiliation(s); (2) what the donation will be used for; (3) a photo of yourself and a biography for your artist profile on our Artist Biography Page; and (4) your address (for shipment purposes). To learn more and apply to receive red abalone donations check out our Indigenous Artist Page and application!

How do I apply to donate red abalone to an Indigenous artist?

In order to apply to be one of The Abalone Collective donors you will be asked to provide: (1) the size, weight, and quantity of the red abalone shells (considered for shipment); (2) a brief description of the red abalone donations history (e.g., when, where, and by who it was collected); (3) which artist(s) you wish to donate to from our Artist Biography Page; (4) a biography we will share with the artist (anonymous option available) in order to help build a human connection that goes “beyond the shell”; and (5) your address (for shipment purposes). To learn more and apply to receive donations check out our Abalone Donor Page and application!

What if I want to participate as a donor, but don’t have any shells or am out of state (California)?

While artists are encouraged to pay for the shipment of the donations being sent to them and donors are generally required to provide the shipping materials, we understand that this is not always accessible to both artists and donors. Once an artist or donor reaches out about needing assistance for shipping we will reach out to you about sponsoring that particular shipment and or the materials (anonymous option available). If you wish to participate and do not have shells to donate this is the perfect way to participate! To learn more and become a sponsor check out our Abalone Sponsor Page and application!

Why is The Abalone Collective limited to the state of California for both artists and donors?

Though we wish we could take shell donations from outside the state of California and send donations out of state, due to the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (Citation 16 U.S.C. 3371-3378) is currently limiting the states we work in to California. In the future we hope to investigate how we can work with officials with the Lacey Act in mind to expand the project, but for now California is serving as a trial run of this collective.

For any further questions or concerns please reach out to theabalonecollective@gmail.com.