Mid-Shore Culture: The Little Museum that Can with Stuart Parnes

In an era of when America’s large cultural museums have become masters of blockbuster exhibitions, marketing savvy, and significant building projects, it is hard not to worry about the fate of the thousands of the smaller community-based museums throughout the country.

These pint-sized, mostly storefront operations could easily be seen as an endangered species given that their big brother/sister counterparts are increasingly taking center stage in terms of membership and philanthropy. But Stuart Parnes, the current president of the Oxford Museum, predicts a healthy future for these cultural gems.

And Parnes should know.

With a resume that includes directing the acclaimed Mystic Seaport and the Eastern Shore’s beloved Chesapeake Bay Marine Museum, as well as a well-established career as a museum consultant, Stuart is well versed on the positive impact these large institutions have their visitors and communities, but when he puts on his local volunteer hat,  it’s been interesting to note that it is to help lead the small but mighty Oxford Museum.

In his Spy interview, Stuart talks about how this tiny museum not only remains relevant but can even compete with its larger peers in hosting unique exhibitions. A case in point is the Oxford Museum’s upcoming plans to host a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition entitled Water/Ways.

Too large for the Oxford Museum’s venue on Morris Street, Water/Ways will be on display at the Oxford Community Center and St. Paul’s Church. At the same time, the museum plans to complement this significant exhibition with the work of the highly respected local photographer David Harp.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. Water/Ways will be from July 13 to August 24. For more information about the Oxford Museum please go here.