This winter, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum invites audiences to hear from authors, scholars, and community members exploring topics illuminating the past, present, and future of life on the Bay. (Photo by George Sass)

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Jan. 6, 2026 – Kicking off the new year, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is pleased to share an exciting lineup of Speaker Events in the Van Lennep Auditorium, and available virtually, featuring presenters highlighting the region’s rich history, environment, and culture.

These programs invite audiences to hear from authors, scholars, and community members exploring topics that illuminate the past, present, and future of life on the Bay. They are supported by the Upper Shore Regional Folklife Center under the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

The suggested ticket cost is $8 per program. To sign up, and get more information, visit cbmm.org/SpeakerSeries.

The winter series begins this Thursday, Jan. 8, at 5:30pm, with a program celebrating America’s 250^th anniversary featuring author and historian Richard Bell.

Bell will highlight the global impacts of the American Revolution explored in his new book, “The American Revolution and the Fate of the World.” Through the stories of the diverse people displaced, empowered, or destroyed by the war, he offers a bold new framework for understanding the Revolution as a complex, international struggle that redrew maps and toppled hierarchies across six continents.

Stay tuned for more news on events and programming celebrating America250 and the region’s connections to America’s story throughout 2026.

A capacity crowd filled the Van Lennep Auditorium for CBMM’s first Watermen’s Story Swap in January 2024.

On Thursday, Jan. 29, at 5:30pm, CBMM will host its latest Watermen’s Story Swap, gathering a panel of watermen from across the region for a lively evening of storytelling from their working life on the Bay. Local author and historian Brent Lewis will lead a free-flowing conversation highlighting unique tales and universal themes that’s sure to be equal parts enlightening, humorous, and profound.

Coming on Friday, Feb. 13, at 5:30pm, “Ecomyopia on the Chesapeake: Social and Cultural Barriers to Climate-Induced Managed Retreat” features Cultural Anthropology Professors Aaron Lampman (Washington College) and David Casagrande (Lehigh University). The pair will present their research into ecomyopia—the ignoring of environmental information to protect identity—on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and how deep-seated local narratives and social dynamics cause widespread denial of climate risk, ultimately preventing rational long-term solutions.

Up next, “Women at the Helm: Navigating Fear and Risk in the Storm” on Monday, Feb. 23, at 5:30pm, offers a celebratory send-off for CBMM’s Her Helm special exhibition, which closes at the end of February.

Folklorist Amy Skillman will share highlights from her oral history project documenting women at the helm, including Bay captains. She will focus on storm stories, which are more often tales of communion with, rather than conquest of, the sea.

Also, mark your calendar for “The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life: An Evening with Cory McCray” on Thursday, April 30, at 5:30pm.

A journeyman electrician and Maryland state senator, McCray details how mentorship, skilled trades, and second chances create powerful pathways to success for individuals and communities in his debut book, “The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life.” During National Apprenticeship Week, CBMM is proud to host Sen. McCray for an in-depth conversation on building stronger foundations for the next generation of workers and leaders, followed by a book signing.

Additional speakers and programming will be announced in the coming months. Find more information about all CBMM’s upcoming events at cbmm.org/Events.