Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

The Changing Chesapeake set to open at CBMM on March 1

February 3, 2023 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s exhibition, The Changing Chesapeake, will open to the public on Wednesday, March 1 in the Steamboat Building gallery.

CBMM’s upcoming exhibition The Changing Chesapeake gathers perspectives of artists from across Maryland and surrounding areas, including Louisa Zendt’s oil painting, “Prime Time.”

Artists were asked to reflect on how climate change and the impact of humans on the environment shapes their Chesapeake community, how the way they identify with and are inspired by the Chesapeake has evolved, what they would want someone 100 years from now to know about life and community traditions in the Chesapeake, and their vision for the future of life in the region.

The Changing Chesapeake will invite guests to explore the perspectives of artists from across Maryland and surrounding areas. The works were selected through a community panelist review process and include traditional media such as photography and painting, as well as stop-motion animation, found-object art, quilting, original songwriting, embroidery, poetry, and sculpture.

Just a few of the unique works featured: Peter Panyon’s music video, “Can’t Work the River,” presents the first-person perspective of a waterman facing a disappearing livelihood. Using quilt and crochet techniques, Laura Guertin’s fiber artwork, “Ghosts of the Coast,” portrays a window that frames its titular spirits, which are trees dying from saltwater intrusion. Writer Anna Marhefka’s creative nonfiction piece, “And still, she beckons,” reflects on her relationship with the Bay as a child and adult through memories of boating and fishing.

Stephen Walker’s oil painting, “Bay Life,” is among the works featured in CBMM’s exhibition The Changing Chesapeake, which opens on March 1.

Sharon Dennis’ painting “Anchor of Hope Cemetery” portrays graves dating to the Revolutionary War falling into the water along an eroding shoreline. In his photo-artistic montage “Tangier Abandoned,” Tom Payne presents a fantastical depiction of Tangier Island underwater, which may become Tangier’s eventual fate. An oil painting by Sharon Malley, “Momfords Poynt from Space” examines the beauty and gracefulness of rivers as they intersect the land, by imagining John Smith’s map of the Chesapeake from space.

“Our concept for The Changing Chesapeake was to break down barriers and encourage artists of all types and experience levels to find their voice, share their personal histories, passions, fears, and hopes, and convey how the Chesapeake shapes and is shaped by individual and community identities,” said Curator and Folklife Center Manager Jen Dolde. “These artworks document how cultural traditions are evolving and transforming in an era of dynamic change. They are a human response to environmental, economic, and internal and external factors that often seem beyond our control.”

The panel selected more than 75 works, which will be on exhibition through Feb. 25, 2024, with public programming slated for spring 2023. CBMM members and the selected artists will be invited to view the exhibition and mingle during an opening event on Thursday, March 2 from 5-7pm. CBMM members can register now at bit.ly/ChangingChesapeakeOpening.

Messick Family Explores Unique Connections to CBMM

January 21, 2023 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

Jack Messick poses with his grandson Josh and great-grandson Thomason his most recent visit to CBMM on Dec. 30, 2022. (Photo courtesy Scott Messick)

Each year, Jack and Rose Messick welcome their four sons and their families back home to Reliance, Md., a few days after Christmas. It’s become a much-anticipated get-together for an Eastern Shore family whose roots have spread beyond the region.

This time around, the Messicks’ holiday celebration included a field trip to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for an opportunity to connect with a unique chapter in family history.

The group–13 in all hailing from three different states and ranging in age from 2 to 84–made the journey to CBMM on Dec. 30 to see the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse, the historic screwpile lighthouse on which Jack’s father, Harold, served as the assistant keeper from 1939–1942.

“It kind of came up out of the blue,” said Scott Messick, the second-oldest son and a longtime CBMM member. “We got to talking about the lighthouse, and my sister-in-law from Cincinnati was saying she’d never been. We said, ‘Alright, let’s go.’”

Harold Messick is featured on the wall of keepers spanning from the lighthouse’s origin in 1879 until it was automated in 1954.

The display features a photo from the early 1950s of Harold with his wife Alice, daughter Annalee, and young Jack, donated by the family to CBMM’s collection along with some of Harold’s personal items, including pieces of a uniform, from his career working on the Hooper Strait Lighthouse as well as the Hoopers Island and Choptank River lighthouses. There’s also a quote from Harold about how much he enjoyed spending time in that light with Annalee.

Jack’s sons Stu, Scott, Chris, and Jason never knew their grandfather, but through the years, they’ve relished the chance to learn his story and share it with others. It was a proud moment for the family to see his service recognized as part of the exhibition in the lighthouse that was relocated to CBMM’s Navy Point in 1966.

Jack Messick (far left) poses with his family—sister Annalee, father Harold, and mother Alice—in the photo currently that hangs on display in the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse at CBMM.

“The cool part for me is my kids are both born in Ohio, so they’ve never seen anything like this,” said Chris Messick, who made the trip from Cincinnati with his wife Caroline and children Julian (age 13) and Clarissa (10). “To have them see their great-grandfather and my dad in that picture and start to understand the history a little bit was really special.”

Jack Messick was just a toddler while his father was stationed on the Hooper Strait Lighthouse, but he’s got a slew of fascinating memories of the Choptank River Lighthouse.

The recent CBMM visit served as a spark for Jack to recount his summer stays with his father on the light.

Starting at age 10, Jack enjoyed unforgettable days filled with fishing, swimming, and playing with the resident pup Chop, and he also found pleasure in helping with the daily work, including swabbing the decks, polishing, painting, and helping his father with trimming the wick of the light’s kerosene lantern and recharging the smaller, unattended beacons down the river.

“I’m very proud of my father’s service,” said Jack Messick, a former Marine officer who retired after a long career as a Dorchester County educator. “He was very diligent in what he did. He worked on the water most of his life, and I just know how important his sense of duty was. I like to think I picked that up from him. He had that sense that he was going to do his job the best he could for as long as he could.”

“My father was not unique in that sense,” Messick added. “All the lighthouse keepers that he ever knew or worked with had that same work ethic. Even in the worst conditions, you’d stay with your light as long as you could.”

With his family, Jack Messick told a story that particularly illustrated that point. He recalled being on the light when his father sprang into action to help a family whose boat was stranded near the light.

After towing the boat to safe port in Oxford, the man offered his father $10 as thanks. Young Jack was surprised at his father’s polite refusal of the tip for his service.

“I think that was a lifetime lesson for me,” Jack remembered. “At the time, I thought, ‘Well, that’s two Red Ryder BB guns.’ That $10 would’ve bought me two, but he wouldn’t take it. To me, that says a lot about who he was.”

For the rest of the family, hearing that tale for the first time offered a window into the world that shaped Jack.

“It stuck with him,” Scott Messick said. “He’s taught that lesson. Not the same way. Because I’d never heard it that way before, but he’s taught that lesson to us.

“Do your job. Do unto others. That’s how we’ve always lived. I never thought it would’ve come from my grandfather.”

That’s not the only family connection the Messicks discovered on this trip to CBMM.

In the Oystering on the Chesapeake exhibition, there are oyster tongs emblazoned with “Messick Bros” on the shaft that were handcrafted by relatives in a shop in Harold Messick’s hometown of Bivalve, Md., that has been producing them for generations.

Scott Messick has been supporting CBMM for years. He’s made regular visits for member events and hands-on workshops, and his son Andrew once completed an internship with CBMM’s curatorial team.

Strolling campus with four generations of Messicks, including two of his sons and his grandson Thomas, Scott noticed the tongs that bore his family name for the first time. That fun find only added to a day to remember at CBMM for the group.

“It’s a joy to me to be part of it and feel like I’m part of it,” Scott Messick said. “I enjoy being a member. I enjoy taking people there. I tell people they should go see it, and I say, ‘While you’re there, look for my dad.’”

CBMM Summer Camp Registration Opens Jan. 2

December 27, 2022 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

As the calendar flips to 2023, it’s the perfect time to make summer plans, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s popular summer camps will return this year offering Bay-themed fun for children ages 4-15.

Registration is set to open on Jan. 2, 2023, for these weeklong camps, which run from June 26-Aug. 18, with a two-week sign-up period exclusively for CBMM members before open registration begins on Jan. 17.

To register for CBMM’s Sea Squirts, Terrapins, Summer Workshop, or Museum Masters camps, visit cbmm.org/summercamps. All sessions are limited to a maximum of 12 children, so early registration is encouraged.

The full day camps cost $355 per week, while the half-day Sea Squirts camp cost is $155 per week. CBMM members are offered a 20% discount on tuition, and scholarships are available for campers with financial need.

In a small-group setting following age-appropriate lesson plans, CBMM summer campers explore the magic of the Bay’s people, animals, traditions, and environment while taking advantage of all CBMM’s 18-acre waterfront campus has to offer. The programs put an emphasis on creating a fun, hands-on learning environment that includes on-the-water and environmental activities, stories, games, crafts, and other creative projects.

The Sea Squirts camp, designed for children 4-6 years old, will be offered from 9am-noon Monday-Friday for a total of six weeks, while the full-day Terrapins camp, for children entering grades 1-3, runs from 9am-4pm over an eight-week period.

Both of these camps will follow a different theme weekly, including Chesapeake Critters: Aquatic Animals (June 26-30), Red, White, & Bay (July 3-7), Water, Water, Everywhere! (July 10-14), Shipwrecked! (July 17-21), Feathers, Fins, & Furs (July 24-28), Bay Scientists (July 31-Aug. 4), Go Green! (Aug. 7-11) and Chesapeake Critters: Land & Sky (Aug. 14-18).

Geared toward older children, CBMM’s Summer Workshop camp offers the chance to spend time both in the workshop and on the water while learning new skills in a fun and creative environment.

This program will be offered for campers in grades four–six during the weeks of July 3, July 17, July 31, and Aug. 14, and in grades six–nine during the weeks of July 10, July 24, and Aug. 7. These sessions run from 9am-4pm, Monday-Friday.

New for 2023, the Museum Masters program offers campers a behind-the-scenes pass to CBMM to learn all that goes into a museum and its exhibitions. This camp, offered to grades 4-6 the week of July 10 and grades 6-9 the week of July 17, presents a unique opportunity to explore CBMM’s collection and help curate a special group exhibit.

Contact Registration@cbmm.org with questions about this year’s camp offerings or for registration support. To become a CBMM member and access early registration as well as the tuition discount, visit cbmm.org/membership or contact Membership Services Coordinator Debbie Ruzicka at 410-745-4991 or druzicka@cbmm.org.

Celebrate All Things Oyster October 29 in St. Michaels

October 15, 2022 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

Get ready to celebrate the Bay’s favorite bivalve at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s OysterFest on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Running 10 am-4 pm, CBMM’s OysterFest features oysters served a variety of ways, along with other local fare, craft beer, and spirits, plus live music, an oyster stew competition, a full schedule of oyster-themed demonstrations and presentations, children’s activities, and more.

At the rain or shine event, festivalgoers can savor Chesapeake Bay oysters, with both raw and cooked options available, from the Talbot Watermen Association and other local oyster farms. There will also be a variety of Chesapeake delicacies and other food offerings via local vendors available for purchase, plus a beverage selection that includes specialty cocktails featuring Windon Distilling Lyon Rum, Chesapeake-style Bloody Marys featuring George’s Beverage Company mix, and an array of local craft beer options.

The always-popular oyster stew competition begins at 11am and invites guests to sample offerings from various local restaurants and vote for their favorite, while the American Chesapeake Club will be on hand to discuss Maryland’s official dog, the Chesapeake Bay retriever, and showcase its retrieving ability.

One Hundred Shores project is offering a unique workshop that allows guests to connect with the Bay’s water from 100 different locations across the Chesapeake estuary in a dyeing process to create shirts which illustrate a map of the watershed itself. Registration is available now at bit.ly/OysterFestOneHundredShores.

In its fourth OysterFest appearance, Maryland-based Swamp Donkey Newgrass will be playing the Tolchester Beach Bandstand all day long, delivering an exciting combination of original songs and unique covers that span many genres in a style they have made all their own.

Throughout the day, Van Lennep Auditorium will host a variety of guest speakers and oyster-related presentations sponsored by the Upper Shore Regional Folklife Center, starting at 11am with a cooking demonstration from Executive Chef Gregory James from Stars Restaurant at the Inn at Perry Cabin.

At 12:45pm, Bivalve Trail podcast host Lexi Hubb will offer a presentation on Thomas Downing, a Black American born free on Virginia’s Eastern Shore who helped make New York City the Oyster Capital of the world in the mid-1800s. Later, Hubb and co-host Bill Troxler will describe how they created the narrative, music and soundscape for Downing’s story, illustrating time periods, settings, and emotions without visual cues.

As part of CBMM’s partnership with The Great Maryland Recipe Hunt, food historian Joyce White will offer a culinary history of Chesapeake Bay oysters, beginning at 1:30pm. The foodways documentation project, One Hundred Shores, and the Bivalve Trail programming are presented by the Regional Folklife Center through the Maryland Traditions Program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

Family activities include Chesapeake-themed games, activities, and demonstrations, and a chance to build a take-home model boat.

Guests will also be able to explore CBMM’s exhibitions, including Oystering on the Chesapeake and Waterman’s Wharf, where they can try tonging or nippering for oysters.

They’re also invited to participate in an oyster slurp-off contest, tour one of the visiting Chesapeake Bay buyboats and vessels within CBMM’s historic floating fleet, watch an antique diving demonstration, and visit the Phillips Wharf Fishmobile.

This year, OysterFest is generously sponsored by Glenmede and Patriot Cruises and supported by What’s Up Media, Eastern Shore Tents & Events, Windon Distilling, George’s Beverage Company, and Kelly Distributors.

OysterFest admission is $6 for CBMM member adults and active members of the military (with ID); $18 for non-member adults; $15 for seniors (age 65 and up), college students and retired military (both with ID); $6 for non-member children ages 6–17; and free for member children 6–17, and all children 5 and under. CBMM members at the Family & Friends level and above can also receive the $6 discounted admission for two adult guests.

Food and drinks are available for an additional cost, with carry-on alcohol prohibited. Proceeds from the event support CBMM’s education, restoration, and exhibition programs.

For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including OysterFest. Carry-on alcohol from dock or land is prohibited.

Purchase your tickets in advance now and learn more at cbmm.org/oysterfest.

Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XXXIX is Sept. 30–Oct. 2

September 15, 2022 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

From Friday–Sunday, Sept. 30–Oct. 2, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum will once again host one of the nation’s largest gatherings of small boat enthusiasts and unique watercraft at Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XXXIX.

Over the three days, CBMM guests can marvel at the craftsmanship and innovation used in traditional and contemporary small craft while enjoying CBMM’s waterfront campus and indoor and outdoor exhibitions. Hundreds of amateur and professional boatbuilders and enthusiasts, hailing from near and far, are set to showcase their boats at the 39th annual festival.

Sailing skiffs, rowing shells, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, prams, and one-of-a-kind boats will be on display and in the water throughout this family-oriented event, and small craft owners from across the country will be available to share their knowledge and boating experiences with guests.

Photo by George Sass

On Saturday, CBMM Shipyard staff and Chesapeake Wooden Boat Builders School instructors will be on hand to offer boatbuilding and maritime demonstrations. Also, beginning at 1pm on Saturday, there will be a lively Miles River race of small craft, which can be viewed from CBMM’s waterfront and docks.

Festival-goers will be able to vote for their favorite boat, with the People’s Choice award and others announced among participants on Saturday evening. Limited offerings will be available for the public to see on Sunday.

For safety reasons, dogs are not permitted on museum grounds during CBMM festivals, with the exception of certified service dogs.

Public entrance to the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival is included with CBMM’s general admission, which is good for two consecutive days and free for CBMM members. Hours are 10am–5pm each day. For more information, visit cbmm.org/smallcraftfestival. Anyone looking to participate as an exhibitor should visit cbmm.org/mascfparticipants.

Maryland Dove Heads Home

August 19, 2022 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

After three years of construction and a festive summer send-off, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is officially bidding a fond farewell to a now-complete Maryland Dove.

“I could not be prouder of the work that CBMM has achieved on the project,” said Kristen Greenaway, President & CEO of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. “We were absolutely honored to be awarded the build contract, and it has been an organization-wide effort, and an absolute delight, to fulfill it.”

In 2018, it was announced that CBMM had been selected to build a brand-new Maryland Dove for Historic St. Mary’s City. The ship, a representation of the late 17th-century trading ship that accompanied the first European settlers to what is now Maryland, is owned by the state of Maryland, and operated and maintained by the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission (HSMCC). An earlier version of the ship, built in the 1970s by Cambridge’s Jim Richardson, was nearing the end of its useful life and decades of new research meant that a new ship could be designed to be a more historically accurate representation of the original Maryland Dove.

The new Maryland Dove is pictured during a sail on the Miles River. Now, post-construction in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s working Shipyard, the ship is finally heading to its homeport in Historic St. Mary’s City. Photo by George Sass.

Since that first announcement, construction of the iconic state ship has been the central focus of CBMM’s working Shipyard. Work over the past few years, all done in public view, has seen the new ship move from concept to reality, and Maryland Dove will finally sail to its homeport in Historic St. Mary’s City at the end of August. Staff from both organizations joined the public for a celebration of the ship in St. Michaels, Md., at a CBMM-hosted Dock Party in May.

Upon returning to HSMCC, Maryland Dove will serve as the organization’s floating ambassador, flagship exhibition, and a key tool in its educational programming. And thanks to key design elements and a summer of testing and certification, the new ship is authorized to carry passengers by the U.S. Coast Guard, allowing HSMCC to take passengers for an on-the-water experience.

“We are so looking forward to having this exhibit,” said Regina Faden, Executive Director of Historic St. Mary’s City at the Dock Party celebration. We have educated about 500,000 students about early Maryland history and are looking forward to the ship helping us educate the next 500,000. We are very grateful.”

To keep up with the ship as it moves into the next stage of its life, visit marylanddove.org

CBMM to Exhibit Works from Michael O. Snyder

August 17, 2022 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is pleased to announce a new special exhibition arriving soon at its St. Michaels, Md., campus, The Coming Coast. Opening Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, the exhibition will feature works by Michael O. Snyder on display both in a traditional gallery setting in CBMM’s Van Lennep Auditorium and in a larger scale outdoors on its campus.

Informed by his training as an environmental scientist and inspired by his passion for the beauty and wildness of the natural world, Snyder’s pieces explore the effects of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay region and beyond. Images from Snyder’s Eroding Edges and The Coming Coast series confront the impact of environmental change on both landscape and culture.

“Within yards of the Miles River, visitors will encounter banner-sized images and quotes from Michael O. Snyder’s probing interviews with the scientists and leaders confronting and working to combat climate change in their communities,” says Curator and Folklife Center Manager Jen Dolde. “Inside, Snyder’s photographs of the coastal communities of Alaska, the Mississippi Delta, and British Columbia are juxtaposed with the seafood harvesting towns of the Chesapeake, where watermen face the erosion of their landscapes, their lifestyles, and their cultural identities in only a few generations.”

Entrance to see The Coming Coast is included with general admission, which is free for CBMM members. To learn more about the perks and privileges of membership, visit cbmm.org/membership.

Michael O. Snyder’s documentary work is funded through The Bertha Foundation, Climate Central, National Geographic, The Blue Earth Alliance, The Arctic Institute, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Photo: Department of Natural Resources Biologist Donald Webster stands alongside a “ghost forest” in Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County holding measuring stick marking the level of potential sea level rise in 2100. Photograph by Michael O. Snyder.

August 14 Brings Crabs, Watermen’s Rodeo to St. Michaels

July 17, 2022 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

On Sunday, Aug. 14, Watermen’s Appreciation Day returns to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., featuring a spirited boat docking contest, steamed crabs and other regional food, live music, beer, boat rides, family activities, and more. The fundraising event is organized by CBMM in cooperation with the Talbot Watermen Association, with proceeds benefiting both organizations.

The opportunity to meet the Chesapeake’s watermen, along with local steamed crabs, beer, and other food and beverages continue to highlight the waterfront festival. Eventgoers can also take part in a silent auction in the Small Boat Shed, with all proceeds supporting the Talbot Watermen Association.

Beginning at noon, the event’s “watermen’s rodeo” boat docking contest returns to the Miles River near CBMM’s 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse. Bleacher seating will be provided for spectators to the contest, and children’s activities will be offered throughout the day.

“It’s a great day of celebrating the Chesapeake Bay’s watermen—from the rodeo to the cold beer, hot crabs, and live music” said TWA President Jeff Harrison. “And we’re grateful to partner with CBMM on this important fundraising event for more than a decade now.”

Starting at noon, the day’s catch of steamed crabs—served by watermen—will be available for purchase, in addition to beer, water, soda, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, and more. Steamed crabs will be sold by the dozen, with pricing set by July 29 and posted at cbmm.org.

Also beginning at 11am, live music with Bird Dog and the Road Kings from the historic Tolchester Beach Bandstand will have people tapping their toes and dancing along CBMM’s waterfront.

Admission to the 10am–5pm, rain-or-shine, event includes the boat docking contest, live music, numerous family activities, entrance to all CBMM exhibitions and historic structures, and is set at $18 for adults, $8 for children 6–17, with all children 5 years of age and under admitted free. CBMM members along with licensed watermen and their immediate families get discounted admission at $10 per adult, and $6 per child ages 6–17. Food and beverages are additional.

Advanced admission tickets can be purchased online at cbmm.org/watermensday, with tickets also sold at the door the day of the event. Discounted watermen’s tickets will also be available at the door the day of the event, with an active watermen’s license shown. Boat rides, steamed crabs, beer, and additional food and beverages will be available for purchase. Free event parking will be available at St. Michaels High School, with a complimentary shuttle service to and from CBMM running throughout the day.

For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including Watermen’s Appreciation Day. Carry-on alcohol from dock or land is also prohibited. Spectator boats wishing to view the competition from the water must remain outside the buoyed channel.

For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.

CBMM Begins Next Phase of Master Plan Upgrades

July 16, 2022 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum recently broke ground on its new Welcome Center, marking the start of Phase II of its Master Plan campus upgrades. This rendering shows what the new building will look like when completed in 2023.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is pleased to announce that it has broken ground on its new Welcome Center—a major milestone marking the start of Phase II of its ongoing Master Plan campus upgrades.

Opening in 2023, the new, fully ADA accessible building will house CBMM’s Welcome Center, Museum Store, and two exhibition spaces.

“The new building will immensely enhance the guest experience at CBMM and provide an even warmer welcome to campus,” said Kristen Greenaway, CBMM’s President & CEO. “Our Master Plan is designed to create increased space for CBMM’s core museum offerings—including exhibitions, education, and in the shipyard—and we can’t wait for you to see it!”

CBMM’s Master Plan also includes a Phase III focus on utilization of outdoor space and an expansion of Shipyard facilities, designed to showcase the ever-expanding range of shipyard education, boatbuilding, and exhibitions.

Three phases make up the Master Plan, with the scope and timeline contingent upon funding. Funding sources will come from individual donations and naming opportunities, grants, and operations. You too can support CBMM’s efforts to enhance campus and create better public offerings by donating to The Annual Fund. Visit cbmm.org/donate to learn how.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and making this resource available to all.

Every aspect of fulfilling this mission is driven by CBMM’s values of relevance, authenticity, and stewardship, along with a commitment to providing engaging guest experiences and transformative educational programming, all while serving as a vital community partner. For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.

Chesapeake Perspectives Workshop Series Continues This Summer

June 5, 2022 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

Photographer George Sass will lead workshops on June 29, July 20, and July 27.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is proud to be able to offer several sessions in its Chesapeake Perspectives Workshop Series this summer.

Led by teaching artists who draw inspiration from the Chesapeake, participants in the Chesapeake Perspectives Workshop Series will explore mediums and techniques to reflect their own identity, viewpoint, and experiences through art. For a quick look at upcoming programs, go to bit.ly/ChesapeakePerspectives.

The first offering, Living Shoreline in Living Color, is scheduled from 10am–noon on June 11 & 12. Participants will draw inspiration from CBMM’s living shoreline, then learn how to use colorful chalk pastels and chalk pastel pencils turn drawings of it into vibrant pastel “paintings.”

The workshop, which will cover color theory and blending tips and is open to beginners and up, is designed with the principles of Creative Aging for older adults in mind. It will be led by Constance Del Nero, Director of Children’s Education and Community Programs at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Md. To register and for additional details, visit bit.ly/LivingShorelineWorkshop.

Living Shoreline in Living Color is made possible by a grant provided by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in partnership with E.A. Michelson Philanthropy in addition to support from the Maryland State Arts Council. Thank you to the Maryland Micro-Credentials for Creative Aging Grant Programs for supporting this arts experience.

On June 30, author Pete Fortenbaugh will give a talk on his latest novella, The Monday after Father’s Day.

On June 30, from 5–6:15pm, Translating Life into Literature with Pete Fortenbaugh will be held in CBMM’s Van Lennep Auditorium. In his recently released novella, The Monday after Father’s Day, author Pete Fortenbaugh presents a fictional community of complex characters, exploring transcendent themes of religion, race, and community through the eyes of his eight-year-old protagonist. Informed by the close friendships he made while living and working as a carpenter on isolated Tangier Island, Fortenbaugh’s work spotlights life in small communities sustained by the Bay.

In his talk, Fortenbaugh will share his process for translating his experiences in the Chesapeake into a fictionalized world, as well as excerpts from the novella. To register, visit bit.ly/PeteFortenbaughWorkshop.

A series of three photography workshops rounds out the Chesapeake Perspectives Workshop Series in the coming months. Environmental Portraiture and Camera Fundamentals is scheduled for 9am–noon Wednesday, June 29; Going Beyond the Snapshot to Photograph Environmental Architecture & Objects will be 1–4pm on Wednesday, July 20; and Photographing Boats from a Boat is planned for 4–7pm on Wednesday, July 27. Visit bit.ly/ChesapeakePerspectives to register.

Each of these workshops, which are designed for beginner and intermediate photographers, will be led by George Sass. After running his international advertising agency for more than 25 years, Sass started a second career as a photojournalist for the marine industry. Over 100 of his feature stories and photography were published in national magazines including Yachting, Power & Motoryacht, Yachts International, Cruising World, Passagemaker and more. Several of his stories have won magazine awards of excellence. Today, Sass mainly focuses on his fine art photography and exhibits his work in galleries and art organizations throughout Maryland where it has won numerous fine art awards.

Translating Life into Literature with Pete Fortenbaugh, and each of the upcoming photography workshops,are funded through CBMM’s Regional Folklife Center under the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

Participants are encouraged to participate in one or more programs as part of the Chesapeake Perspectives Workshop, and to use this experience to create a submission for CBMM’s upcoming community response exhibition, The Changing Chesapeake. Learn more at bit.ly/ChangingChesapeake.

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