Nov. 13, 2025 | #MyChesapeakeStory

Just in time for the annual Waterfowl Festival and with the new Stories from the Shoreline exhibition on the horizon, “Chesapeake Decoys: The Nature of Waterfowl Art” is now showing in the CBMM Theater. Presented in cooperation with Maryland Public Television, the 27-minute documentary, debuted in 2022, explores the practice of waterfowl hunting, the art of decoy carving, and the culture of collecting in the Chesapeake region.

“Chesapeake Decoys” will be shown at 11am and 2pm during CBMM’s operating days through mid-December.

Located in the former Waterfowling building on Navy Point, the CBMM Theater celebrates the power of storytelling by sharing selections from our library of historic and documentary films throughout the year. This new space is designed to highlight on-demand short films and longer features that share mission-related stories, including a variety of films featured through the years during Maryland Public Television’s Chesapeake Bay Week, many of which spotlight CBMM’s campus, collections, and staff expertise. 

Make plans to join us to be among the first to experience the new theater. Throughout November, we are open daily 10am-4pm before transitioning to our Winter Hours. You can now get date-specific general admission tickets, which are always free for CBMM members. We hope to see you soon!

Waterfowling history expert, decoy collector and CBMM Curatorial Committee member C. John Sullivan examines a pair of decoys.

About Chesapeake Decoys: It is a happy accident of nature that each year millions of migrating waterfowl converge on Chesapeake Bay. The uniqueness of the Bay– the shallow, wide expanse of dark brackish water, its meandering, narrow tidal creeks and the pockets of quiet, secluded marsh– creates for wildlife of all types of habitat and haven.

For the birds, Chesapeake Bay offers temporary respite from the strain of prolonged migratory flight. For hunters, the annual stopover offers the opportunity to practice the ancient art of the waterfowl hunt – a practice that has survived into our age of plenty, but has also evolved into something more.

Today, art in the form of waterfowl carvings is one that was born of hunters who slogged through marshes — yes, to lure and to shoot birds — but also those who saw the world as conservationists, admiring and appreciating the great beauty of their wild prey.

“Chesapeake Decoys: The Nature of Waterfowl Art” explores waterfowl carving as it exists today: fine art – but also big business. Viewers are also introduced to master carvers, who craft decoys from blocks of wood, the collectors who buy and sell their works for large sums, and waterfowl festivals that draw large and enthusiastic crowds who bear witness to this art form’s special singularity.