Arts

Island Life Opens as a Virtual Exhibition

May 21, 2020 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

Originally planned for display in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Van Lennep Auditorium, a new exhibition featuring the works of Chesapeake Bay photographer Jay Fleming will be presented to the public virtually starting Monday, May 18. Island Life: Changing Culture, Changing Shorelines can be found online at cbmmislandlife.org.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring CBMM into your homes through this virtual exhibition,” said CBMM President Kristen Greenaway. “We’re in the process of shifting to more and more virtual offerings at this time and look forward to finding additional ways to deliver Chesapeake Bay content to our guests in the months to come.”

Photo by Jay Fleming

Fleming’s photographs reveal how the changing environment is affecting the cultures and shorelines of inhabited and formerly inhabited offshore islands in the Chesapeake Bay. He discovered his passion for photography upon inheriting a hand-me-down Nikon film camera at age 13 from his father, Kevin, a former National Geographic photographer. Fleming immediately developed an affinity to looking at life through the lens of his camera, and what ensued was an exciting photographic journey that would eventually lead him to his career as a professional photographer. His first book, Working the Water—a photographic narrative of the Chesapeake Bay seafood industry—is in its third printing and his next book, Island Life—around which this exhibition is based—is expected to be released in the fall of 2021.

“Jay Fleming is a consummate visual storyteller,” said Jenifer Dolde, CBMM’s Associate Curator of Collections. “His frequent visits to the islands and shorelines along the Bay have resulted in an intimate knowledge of the land and people, allowing him to capture moments in time that encapsulate our distinctive Chesapeake landscape and culture.”

Photo by Jay Fleming

Island Life: Changing Culture, Changing Shorelines can be viewed online admission-free for your comfort and convenience. The exhibition is possible by generous contributions to CBMM’s Annual Fund, which supports everything from education and boatbuilding programs to interactive exhibitions and more than 75,000 irreplaceable objects in CBMM’s collection. If you wish to give to the Annual Fund, please visit cbmm.org/donate.

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.

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MassoniArt Virtual Exhibit

May 19, 2020 by MassoniArt Leave a Comment

Challenged to respond to Covid 19, MassoniArt instituted a program to create a series of “virtual” exhibitions enabling the gallery to remain nimble and broaden their outreach. The second in the series – BENEATH THE SURFACE – features internationally renowned photographer Michael Kahn’s stunning seascape and spectacular sailing photographs. Twenty years ago, gallery owner Carla Massoni invited Kahn to exhibit his work in her gallery. It was his first formal exhibition and now his work is shown in art galleries and museums throughout the world.

With his 1950’s camera, Michael travels extensively to photograph the world’s finest boats and pristine seascapes. His handmade photographs are warmly toned, signed, numbered in limited editions, and finished to museum standards. His traditional technique united with his distinctive sense of form, vision, and composition has helped him to be one of the most memorable photographers of our time.

The launch of the new exhibit coincides with the publication of Michael’s two new books – East Coast Atlantic Beaches featuring 80 museum quality photographs of lush and serene seascapes and Sailboats with over 75 stunning sailing images captured at regattas in Antiqua, France and England. All of the photographs featured in the exhibit and Kahn’s four books are available through the Gallery’s Online Shop – www.massoniart.com

“Summer is on the horizon and Michael’s photographs will have you dreaming of beaches and sailing. Our video is best seen on your computer or iPad and will be worth every one of the eleven minutes” Massoni promises.

Visit here to view BENEATH THE SURFACE.

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Chesapeake Music Presents Virtual Virtuosi!

May 15, 2020 by Chesapeake Music Leave a Comment

Chesapeake Music celebrates the 35th Anniversary of the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival this June with an exciting, virtual festival. Internationally-known Artistic Directors, Marcy Rosen and Catherine Cho have put together a wonderful series of concerts to bring extraordinary music to our audience, given stay-at-home restrictions caused by COVID-19. It is a pleasure to welcome back the distinguished artists who have performed at the festival for years and to greet the outstanding new musicians participating in this year’s festival.

This year’s festival will be presented as five online concerts made available through the Chesapeake Music website, www.chesapeakemusic.org. Concerts are free and will be available online for a 24-hour period, with 48 hours between concerts. All concerts will be posted at 5:30 p.m.

Two concerts, professionally filmed and recorded at Queens College, LeFrak Concert Hall, will bookend the festival. The opening concert, scheduled for Thursday, June 4, features award-winning Steinway pianist Diane Walsh and cellist Marcy Rosen playing Sonatas by Beethoven and Chopin. The closing concert on Tuesday, June 16 is a program of Haydn, Debussy and Dvořák performed by violinist Catherine Cho, cellist Marcy Rosen, and acclaimed pianist Robert McDonald.

The second concert will highlight several of festival artists playing works recorded at home. Ieva Jokubaviciute, much sought-after chamber musician, will perform solo piano works of Bach/Busoni and Schumann; pianist Diane Walsh will play the 4 Chopin Impromptus; outstanding violinist Todd Phillips will be joined by pianist Rachel Yunkyung Choo performing the Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 7 in C minor, and violinist Francesca de Pasquale and the wonderful pianist Adam Golka will share the Dvořák Romance in F minor.

In addition, there will be an evening with the fabulous flutist Tara Helen O’Connor and her equally fantastic husband violinist Daniel Phillips, performing from their New York City living room.

This year Chesapeake Music planned to inaugurate a Young People’s Concert Project as part of the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival’s 35th year. The mission was intended to engage students of all ages and families in a musical experience that would nurture a love of music and concert-going. Catherine Cho’s vision was to “ignite the curiosity of children through a program engaging their senses and inspiring their interest and need for expression through musical experiences.” This Young People’s Concert, designed specifically for young people but open to all, will be presented on Wednesday, June 10. The concert will feature four members of the Juilliard/Carnegie Hall sponsored Ensemble Connect, a two-year fellowship program that prepares extraordinary young professional classical musicians for careers that combine musical excellence with teaching, community engagement, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The young musicians offering this concert are violinist Jennifer Liu, Violinist Gergana Haralampievam, Violist Caeli Smith, and Cellist, Ari Evans.

Please visit the Chesapeake Music website for more information and be sure to tune in for Virtual Virtuosi, a Chesapeake Chamber Music Virtual Concert Series beginning Thursday, June 4, 2020.

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Kent Cultural Alliance: Independent Artist Relief Fund

May 6, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

We are pleased to announce a small fund for unrestricted grants in support of Independent Artists in Kent County Maryland. Applications are due May 15.

Applicants must be full-time Kent County residents (for six months or longer) and their art form must provide their primary income. (Grants are limited in number, and awards will be given based on demonstrated financial need. If additional support becomes available, a second round of applications will be opened.)

We are grateful for the additional support of The Hedgelawn Foundation and several local philanthropists who have helped make this fund possible.

In April, we provided our grantee organizations with a supplemental emergency grant equal to 10% of their FY 2020 general operating grant. We are doing our best to support our arts & culture community so that they can continue to support you!

Find the application HERE

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Jay Fleming: A Visual Storyteller for a Changing Chesapeake by Heather Hall

April 9, 2020 by Heather Hall Leave a Comment

Exploring the photography of Jay Fleming is an evocative experience.

The eyes of a waterman invite you to sit awhile and listen to his story. Reflections of a lighthouse dance on the water, and you instinctively put out your hands for balance, as if you are in the boat, too. Above and below the waterline, Fleming brings a fresh perspective to the Chesapeake Bay.

Born and raised in Annapolis, Fleming credits his father – professional nature photographer, Kevin Fleming – with inspiring his passion from an early age. With the Nikon 90s his father gave him, the young Fleming won his first national photography competition at the age of 14.

Perhaps Fleming inherited his father’s eye for detail, but his love of the Bay and passion for the people, their culture, and environment are uniquely his own.

Fleming describes himself as a visual storyteller. He curates his images with text for exhibits and publications, noting, “You can’t have one without the other.” To be sure the stories of the Chesapeake’s watermen and seafood industry were preserved accurately, he self-published his first book, Working the Water.

He describes his second book, Island Life (due to be released in 2021), as “a visual narrative of life on Smith Island and Tangier Island and their future amidst environmental and cultural changes.”

At the March 6 preview for the Oxford Museum, the audience was appreciative of Fleming’s presentation and passion for the culture and environment he documents. Sarah Morgan Watters shared, “Jay really connects with his people. He’s like an anthropologist, but he does it in a modern way.”

Jack Turner, a friend from Annapolis, said, “Jay is a man of the people. He has access to these unseen communities because he respects them and understands the challenges they face. He’s a spokesperson for them, sharing his platform as an audience to help them tell their story.”

Turner describes his own photographic endeavors as a hobbyist, blessed to “be along for the ride” during some of Fleming’s photoshoots. He recalls: “Last summer, Jay called me one night – all excited – and asked, ‘Want to meet me at 4:30 tomorrow morning to document all the submerged grasses?’” Turner describes their field trip – complete with a drone, GoPro, underwater housing for cameras, and snorkeling gear – as if they were kids out for an adventure in their backyard. They spent two days documenting the abundance and clarity of the Severn River.

If you follow Fleming on social media, you’ll note that even “social distancing” doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm for the world around him. While unable to venture far, he treks through streams and turns over rocks to share the sights and sounds of springtime, reminding us what we too can find in our backyards. From croaking frogs to sprouting seedlings, his appreciation for the environment is infectious.

Another way Fleming engages others with the Chesapeake Bay is by leading photography workshops. His first was five years ago, and he recalls, “I hadn’t really planned it, but a waterman I know on Kent Narrows met two DC photographers and referred them to me, so I took them to Smith Island for a couple of days. It’s so close, as the crow flies, but something they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.” The following summer, he led three workshops, then four in 2017. He now offers 15-20 workshops each year. Open to photographers of all skill levels, groups are limited to six, and they spend their days on the water in a boat Fleming custom-built for this purpose.

On the job or during his free time, Fleming can usually be found in his kayak or his small craft, as he prefers to be low to the water for the best angles and reflections. But you’ll also find him walking through the marsh and making new friends wherever he goes. Turner reflected on an adventure last winter, where they came upon two muskrat trappers. Fleming’s newly made friends let them tag along and document their work.

Fleming notes, “My work as a visual storyteller would not be possible without the trust and generosity of my subjects. Subjects giving me access to document elements of their daily routines or their businesses allows me to bring that story to my work and to educate the people viewing my work. For example, with the seafood industry, by having access to the people who harvest the seafood and the process by which it is harvested, I can create a view of the supply chain that most viewers of my work would never be able to see.”

When asked about future projects, Fleming says that he’d like to continue documenting the seafood industry up and down the Atlantic Coast. For now, he hopes the spring projects resume after the COVID-19 emergency passes.

Fleming is still scheduled to have two exhibits in Talbot County this summer.

Images from Working the Water will be featured at the Oxford Museum. Stuart Parnes, President of the Oxford Museum, reached out to Fleming because his work is the perfect follow up to last summer’s WaterWays exhibit from the Smithsonian.

Images from Island Life will be featured at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Jenifer Dolde, Associate Curator of Collections, shared that Mary McCarthy, who had put together an exhibit last year as part of the Eastern Shore Sea Glass Festival, mentioned Fleming would be their keynote speaker for this year’s festival.

Although both openings have been delayed due to COVID-19, they are anticipated later this spring. CBMM is working with Fleming on a virtual exhibit and planning to host him for an artist’s talk in a few weeks.

To learn more about Jay Fleming, sign up for workshops or purchase prints, visit his website. Photos courtesy of Jay Fleming Photography.

Heather Hall is a Leadership Coach, Spiritual Director and Storyteller through arts and crafts. Born and raised in Maryland, she spent 22 years in Alaska, working in environmental service. She recently returned to the Shore and resides in Oxford.

“The Island of Sea Women” by Lisa See is One Maryland One Book Selection

April 5, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Maryland Humanities is pleased to announce the selection of The Island of Sea Women: A Novel by Lisa See for the 2020 One Maryland One Book program. The novel follows the decades-long friendship of two haenyeo (female divers) from Jeju Island in Korea. The book was chosen by a committee of librarians, educators, authors, and bibliophiles in February from more than 165 titles suggested last fall by readers across the state for the theme, “Friendship.” In 2019, The Island of Sea Women made the New York Times’ list of best sellers.

“For the past 12 years, One Maryland One Book has generated frank conversations about urgent issues explored through literature—including refugees and migrants, conflicts with police, and most recently the Flint water crisis,” says Aaron Heinsman, Acting Executive Director at Maryland Humanities. “I’m excited to see what new perspectives Lisa See’s novel surfaces for readers.“

See says: “I’m thrilled and honored that The Island of Sea Women has been chosen as the 2020 One Maryland One Book selection. This has been a trying year and some of us have sustained terrible losses. I’m proud of the way we’ve had to come together in our families, communities, and states. Books have always given me joy, solace, and courage. Now we have the opportunity to come together to have a shared reading experience. I hope the sea women that I wrote about—their physical and emotional bravery—are as inspiring to all of you as they have been to me. I’m so looking forward to our events and meeting all of you. We’re going to have fun!”

As our One Maryland One Book programming takes place in the fall, we do not as yet anticipate any impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.

About the Book

The Island of Sea Women by New York Times bestselling author Lisa See chronicles the lives and friendship between Young-sook and Mi-ja, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju. They become the closest of friends. However, their differences are impossible to ignore: Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position of leading the divers; whereas Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator and will forever carry that mark. From the Japanese occupation of the 1930s and 1940s to World War II to the Korean War, events will push their seemingly unbreakable bond to its breaking point.This beautifully written and thoughtful novel shines a light on the remarkable haenyeo culture and two women who are a part of it. Readers won’t soon forget the journey of Young-sook and Mi-ja’s friendship.

Lisa See. Photo Credit: Patricia Williams

About the Author

In her beloved New York Times bestsellers, which include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, Dreams of Joy, China Dolls, and The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Lisa See brilliantly illuminates the immigrant experience and the indissoluble bonds between women. Her newest novel is a story of family secrets and female friendship on a remote Korean Island. The Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable women divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives. Her first book, the national bestseller and New York Times Notable Book, On Gold Mountain: The One Hundred Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family, traces the journey of her great-grandfather, Fong See, who overcame obstacles at every step to become the 100-year-old godfather of Los Angeles’s Chinatown and the patriarch of a sprawling family. See was the Publishers Weekly West Coast correspondent for thirteen years, and her articles have appeared in Vogue, Self, and More.

About One Maryland One Book

When we read a great book, we can’t wait to share the experience and talk about it with others. That’s one of the joys of reading.

In that spirit, through our Maryland Center for the Book program, Maryland Humanities created One Maryland One Book (OMOB) to bring together diverse people in communities across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book. We invite readers to participate in book-centered discussions and related programs at public libraries, high schools, colleges, museums, bookstores, and community and senior centers around the state.

OMOB programs, including an author tour, take place each year in the fall. A calendar of free public events—including the Author Tour—will be available online beginning this summer.

One Maryland One Book is presented in partnership with Enoch Pratt Free Library and is sponsored by The Institute of Museum and Library Services via the Maryland State Library as well as PNC Foundation and BGE, with additional support from M&T Bank,an anonymous donor, and the Citizens of Baltimore County.

About Maryland Center for the Book

The Maryland Center for the Book (MCFB)—an affiliate of the national Center for the Book in the Library of Congress—develops and supports literary programs and outreach activities that engage citizens across Maryland in literature and reading. As a program of Maryland Humanities, MCFB highlights our region’s literary heritage and calls attention to the importance of books, reading, literacy, and libraries.

Want to discuss the book now or get updates on upcoming events? Join the conversation on the Maryland Center for the Book page.

About Maryland Humanities

Maryland Humanities is a statewide nonprofit organization that creates and supports educational experiences in the humanities that inspire all Marylanders to embrace lifelong learning, exchange ideas openly, and enrich their communities. For more information, visit www.mdhumanities.org. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities; the State of Maryland;the Citizens of Baltimore County; private foundations such as The William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, creator of the Baker Artist Portfolios, www.BakerArtist.org; corporations; small businesses; and individual donors. Connect with Maryland Humanities on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Call for Script Proposals for the Garfield Center 2021 Season

April 3, 2020 by Garfield Center Leave a Comment

The Garfield Center for the Arts has opened its annual call for play and musical titles for consideration for production in its 2021 season. Suggestions and proposals can be made by Directors who would like to present a play or musical in the 2021 season as well as by interested community members, patrons of the Garfield Center and arts participants. All proposals must be received by the Garfield Center before Monday, May 18, 2020.

For Directors, the Garfield Center Programming Committee has issued the following specific guidelines for proposing titles:

– Submit a list containing multiple titles (at least 3, no more than 10).

– Give title, playwright and a synopsis for each proposed title.

– For each title, give the casting requirements (gender and age breakdowns).

– For each title, state how many total weeks of rehearsal would be needed prior to opening (include dress rehearsal week).

– If the royalty company that owns the play/musical is known, include that information.

– Explain why a specific title would make for a successful production at the Garfield.

– Explain how, if relevant, each title may engage the general Eastern Shore community.

– Provide a bio of your past theatre experience including directing, if applicable.

– Your calendar year availability to direct the show must be included for consideration.

Interested community members, Garfield patrons and participants who would like to suggest titles need only follow these guidelines:

– There is no requirement to give more than a single suggestion, but multiple suggestions are welcome.

– Your response to why a title would be a good fit for the Garfield Center and how it would engage the Eastern Shore community would be very helpful for title consideration.

As indicated above, The Garfield strongly recommends that interested Directors should propose multiple titles instead of just one or two. Providing a list allows the Programming Committee to consider more titles in which a Director has a specific interest. Directors will also gain an opportunity for larger consideration by submitting more than one title.

Detailed information on submitting a proposal is also available on the GCA web site at http://garfieldcenter.org/directors/.

Anyone wishing to submit titles should compile their proposals into a single list and email it to playideas@garfieldcenter.org. Once received, submissions will be acknowledged with a response email. Directors will be informed of the final selections once the Programming Committee has chosen the season.

About The Garfield Center for the Arts at the Prince Theatre

Located at 210 High Street in the Arts & Entertainment District of historic Chestertown, Maryland, the Garfield Center for the Arts’ mission is to invigorate the cultural life of its community by nurturing, celebrating and supporting arts and artists through performance and education. Since its inception in 2002, the Prince Theatre Foundation has enjoyed success in various community endeavors, including producing top of the line theatrical and musical productions such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, My Fair Lady, Short Attention Span Theatre, The 39 Steps, Mister Roberts, Love, Loss and What I Wore, Sylvia, Sweeney Todd, Animal Crackers, Miracle on 34th Street, Annie: The Musical and most recently Greater Tuna. The Garfield also provides quality educational, enriching experiences in the arts for children and adults, such as Playmakers’ Summer Camp, Hedgelawn multi-cultural performance series, MUSICAMP and our monthly programs Open Mic Night, Live Playwrights’ Society and the newly formed Improv Group, and collaborates with Kent County Schools to provide enrichment opportunities for elementary, middle and high school students through our Spring and Fall Educational Outreach Program. Both the theatre, and the foundation that calls it home, are recognized and valued as a unique community center for the arts on the Upper Eastern Shore.

To learn more about the GCA, visit www.garfieldcenter.org, like the GCA on Facebook (facebook.com/garfieldcenterforthearts) or follow the GCA on Twitter (twitter.com/GarfieldCenter) or Instagram (instagram.com/garfieldcenterforthearts).

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The Artists’ Gallery Features Marc Rubin in April

March 31, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, The Artists’ Gallery in Chestertown will be remain closed until good health is once again restored to our region and country. However, knowing that all of us could use a bit of humor and enlightenment these days, Marc Rubin’s exciting new work, “Little Smiles,” will be featured in The Artists’ Gallery throughout the month of April. All of Marc Rubin’s paintings will be set up in the front window and on adjacent easels and panels so it may be viewed in full by the public from outside of the gallery.

Marc’s classical, representational oil paintings continue to evolve and exude a timeless quality, as clearly evidenced in “Little Smiles.” Similar to traditional Dutch painters like Vermeer and Rembrandt, Rubin finds inspiration everywhere he looks and his paintings relay relationships between everyday objects. Through his skillful use of technique and brush manipulation, Rubin pushes and nudges paint into sensual and emotionally charged renderings. An accomplished artist, he is best known for his soulful and still life renderings that pique viewers’ imaginations, invoking curiosity about the stories behind the objects represented in layers of paint – as magical pools of light.

“I Must be a Flower,” (9×12) oil by Marc Rubin

For those of you who are familiar with Marc’s work, he is a visual storyteller. He gives us a unique perspective of the very things we often take for granted, giving them a voice through his paintings and drawings. Marc listens closely to the whispered stories that we sometimes tend to ignore. He is able to capture the essence, the beauty in the discarded or forgotten, and give it life and light. “I am compelled to paint and draw, I always have been. Hold your breath, then breathe…that is what painting is to me. It is as vital as a renewed breath of air.”

Marc owns and operates Marc Rubin Associates (a graphic design firm) and Gallery 421, located in Elmira, NY. He also teaches oil painting at 171 Cedar Arts Center in Corning, NY, as well as private lessons in the art of representational painting. He is represented nationally by a variety of galleries, and has served on the executive board of directors for the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira and the Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes in Corning, NY, and is a past board member of the Upstate New York chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

While the doors to the gallery will remain closed at this time to the public, please note that contact information will be made available in the window to those interested in purchasing a work of art. The Artists’ Gallery is located at 239 High Street in Chestertown. For more information about The Artists’ Gallery, please visit www.theartistsgalleryctown.com and www.facebook.com/6goodpainters.

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Fantastic Fungi Now Showing Online March 26

March 24, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Showings of the film Fantastic Fungi now will be offered online on Thurs., March 26. The 4 p.m., 9 p.m., and midnight screenings include live Q & A sessions with filmmaker and time-lapse photography pioneer Louie Schwartzberg, along with mycologist Paul Stamets. Advanced registration is at fantasticfungi.com/connect.

Schwartzberg is credited with Moving Art, Wings of Life, Mysteries of the Unseen Worlds 3D IMAX, and more, with Fantastic Fungi offered as an immersive experience inspiring a shift in consciousness and a renewed love of nature.

The film originally was to be shown at Temple B’nai Israel on March 26, as one of 500 worldwide locations screening the film. Out of the Fire restaurant and Dock Street Foundation of Easton, Md. sponsored the original Easton event, with Mid-Shore partner participants including the Eastern Shore Food Lab, Evergreen Cove, Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Chesapeake Harvest, the Maryland Biodiversity Project, Eat Sprout, and more.

Mycologist Paul Stamets with Director Louie Schwartzberg while filming Fantastic Fungi.

“This stunning documentary explores the connectivity and power of the often-overlooked fungi kingdom” said Out of the Fire owner Amy Haines. “We’re seeing how important connectivity is, and this film helps present how fungi can help address many of the pressing medical and environmental challenges we face.”

Academy Award-winner Brie Larson narrates Fantastic Fungi,while taking the viewer on an immersive journey through an underground network with the potential to heal and save the planet.The stories are shared through the eyes of scientists and mycologists including Paul Stamets, and best-selling authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, and Andrew Weil to build awareness of the beauty, intelligence, and solutions the fungi kingdom offers in response to some of the most pressing medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges.

The film is being released in tandem with the book Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet, which is available online at fantasticfungi.com.

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