ABOUT US
CENTURY-OLD OYSTER SHACK BECOMES AN ART GALLERY
The Frying Pan Gallery opened in 2009 in a 100+ year old oyster shack on Wellfleet Harbor that had been boarded up for decades.
The historic shack was saved from demolition by steel sculptor/architectural designer Steve Swain. Steve had just completed designing and building the neighboring restaurant, Pearl. He and his wife Sarah lovingly preserve this historically significant building while creating a vibrant gallery that celebrates the work of local artists. Over the years, Frying Pan Gallery has grown into a beloved fixture of the Wellfleet harbor area.
In the fall of 2022, a second, year-round, FPG opened in Orleans at 125 rte 6a (next door to Jo Mama's Bagels)
The Wellfleet & Orleans galleries are curated and operated by Sarah Swain, (also a musician with Sarah Swain & the Oh Boys, you can check out their fab 2020 online shows at FPG HERE!) Sarah is passionate about creating a welcoming art space that features the work of Steve and the 20+ local artists.
Sarah is also founder of the local non-profit Cape Wellness Collaborative and the annual Cape Cod Women's Music Festival.
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The Swain family has a passion for the Cape's unique ocean community and its inhabitants, on land and sea.
The Frying Pan Gallery is proud to support local nonprofits Center for Coastal Studies, Wellfleet Preservation Hall, WOMR, Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, WCAI, Payomet, and Cape Wellness Collaborative.
Many people followed the family's adventures when Steve, Sarah and their 3 children, lived aboard a 41' sailboat and shared their experiences from Cape Cod to the bottom of the Bahamas, collecting data and raising awareness about ocean plastics along the way.
