Art/Act: Brian Skerry – SHARKS

We are pleased to kick off our multiyear partnership with National Geographic with the exhibition, Art/Act: Brian Skerry – SHARKS.

National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry‘s first encounter with a female blue shark off the coast of Rhode Island over 30 years ago was a galvanizing moment. “I was entranced by her rich, indigo skin, while every sense in my body was on high alert, my heart racing as I moved closer,” he says. “Drawing to within a couple of feet of each other, she barely acknowledged my presence and then vanished into the haze.”

Since that moment, Skerry has gone on to extraordinary lengths – and depths – to illustrate the beauty of these incredible and misunderstood creatures. His latest stories for National Geographic Magazine explore the importance of these predators to our ecosystem, and the dangers they face for survival. He’s made 14 trips all over the world to photograph a multitude of shark species, including tiger sharks, great whites, oceanic whitetips, and shortfin makos.

This fall, the Brower Center honors Skerry with our annual Art/Act award and exhibition. Art/Act: Brian Skerry – SHARKS presents his comprehensive body of photographic work in an immersive exhibition that highlights Skerry’s unique combination of passion, skill, and technique, and explores what it takes to make these powerful images.


Art/Act: Brian Skerry – SHARKS is made possible through the generosity of the Berkeley Civic Arts Program & Civic Arts Commission, East Bay Municipal Utilities District, New Resource Bank, Panta Rhea Fund, and the Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation.

SHARKS is organized and traveled by the National Geographic Society.

Photo by Brian Skerry/National Geographic