2022 - Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

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

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Jan. 10, 2023– The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s exhibition, The Changing Chesapeake, will open to the public on Wednesday, March 1 in the Steamboat Building gallery.

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.

A photo-artistic montage featured in CBMM’s upcoming exhibition The Changing Chesapeake, Tom Payne’s “Tangier Abandoned” presents a fantastical depiction of Tangier Island underwater, which may become Tangier’s eventual fate.

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.

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.

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.”

“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 6-7pm. CBMM members can register now at bit.ly/ChangingChesapeakeOpening.

The Changing Chesapeake is funded through CBMM’s Regional Folklife Center under the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council. Viewing this exhibition is included with general CBMM admission and free for CBMM members. Visit cbmm.org to learn more.

With offerings for ages 4-15, CBMM Summer Camps deliver Chesapeake-themed, hands-on activities, stories, games, and crafts that help bring children closer to the Bay.

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Dec. 20, 2022 – 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.

Registration for CBMM’s popular summer camps opens on Jan. 2, 2023, with a two-week sign-up period exclusively for CBMM members. (Photo by Eliot Aust)

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.

CBMM’s Speaker Series returns in 2023 with five winter events, starting with “Deadly Gamble: The Wreck of Schooner Levin J. Marvel” on Jan. 12 in Van Lennep Auditorium. (Photo by Sharon Thorpe)

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Dec. 12, 2022 – The new year brings the return of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Speaker Series, with five events on the upcoming schedule highlighting unique human experiences in the Chesapeake Bay region.

The winter programming, hosted in CBMM’s Van Lennep Auditorium, includes three local authors sharing their historical expertise as well as a pair of events that explore the Bay’s foodways and culinary traditions with support from the Upper Shore Folklife Center. Each talk will offer insight into how the events of the past influence our lives today.

The suggested cost per session is $8 per person, with both in-person and virtual options. To sign up, or for more information, visit bit.ly/CBMMSpeakerSeries.

The winter series kicks off on Jan. 12, 2023, at 5:30pm with “Deadly Gamble: The Wreck of Schooner Levin J. Marvel.”

Author of a recently published book on the Bay’s deadliest shipwreck, Kathy Bergren Smith will present a tale that is part sea story, part courtroom drama, detailing the harrowing wreck of the Chesapeake ram schooner Levin J. Marvel amid Hurricane Connie in the Bay near North Beach, Md., in August 1955 as well as the ensuing legal and legislative fallout.

In “From the Ground Up: An Archaeologist’s Perspective on Native Chesapeake Foods” on Feb. 1 at 3pm, local archaeologist, TimeChef, and food historian Henry Ward will share a culinary exploration of recipes that celebrate indigenous foods and native cuisine of the Chesapeake region.

Joining two of his passions, Ward will discuss how his archaeological investigations shaped his perspective on these food items and inspired the development and preparation of the recipes.

On Feb. 16 at 5:30pm, CBMM will honor the 205th birthday of Frederick Douglass with a program pairing excerpts of Douglass’ writing and speeches with images from St. Michaels resident Jeff McGuiness’ book, “Bear Me Into Freedom: The Talbot County of Frederick Douglass.”

The book, published last fall, offers a photo essay tracing the places central to Douglass’ early life as an enslaved person on the Eastern Shore of Maryland before he escaped to freedom and became a national leader in the fight to abolish slavery.

The series continues March 8 at 3:30pm with “Hurricane Agnes – Fifty Years After Catastrophe.”

In this talk rescheduled from the fall, Gary Letcher, author of “Bold Forecast: The Hurricane Agnes Deluge,” will recount the story of the 1972 storm that brought the most rain and wreaked the worst damage in U.S. history up to its time, while making an impact on the Bay that is still felt 50 years later, in a compelling narrative brings home the power of nature – and the power of ordinary people in the face of epic catastrophe. Letcher’s book is available for pre-purchase for $17 through the registration portal.

The final event on the schedule, “Old Line Plate: Uncovering the Stories Behind Maryland’s Historic Recipes,” comes a week later on March 15 at 5:30pm.

Kara Harris, author of the Old Line Plate blog, will dig into the state’s culinary past by examining the kind of cookbooks that have raised money for churches and charities, while also documenting regional food traditions, over generations. The recipes inside these books can tell the story of a meal, a cook, and even a community, and in this talk, Harris will explore the stories of the lives lived between the meals, and the culinary legacies left behind.

Find more information about all of CBMM’s upcoming events at cbmm.org/events.

Students in CBMM’s Rising Tide program gathered on Sunday to celebrate the completion of their latest project. (Photo by George Sass)

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Nov. 21, 2022 – A crowd of family, friends and supporters gathered Sunday afternoon around Fogg’s Cove on the campus of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum to celebrate the latest completed project for the Rising Tide after-school program.

Since last winter, a group of local middle school students have been working to build two stand-up paddleboards through the CBMM program, and during the Eastern Shore Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival, they marked a job well done with a festive celebration on a chilly afternoon that included a ceremonial splashing of the boards as well as a sparkling apple juice toast.

It was a milestone day for Rising Tide, which has been teaching students in grades 6-9 basic boatbuilding and woodworking skills in a welcoming, relaxed environment since 2015.

“I am extremely proud of the hard work that these students have put into the build of these paddleboards,” said CBMM Workshop Education Manager Kendall Wallace, who oversees the program. “With involvement at absolutely every step of the building process, the students learned many new skills, and those who had never used a plane, clamp, or chisel quickly became masters of the craft.”

“I sincerely hope that the lessons of dedication, persistence, and precision that were practiced through this project will serve as foundations for their futures inside and outside of the workshop.”

Students in the Rising Tide program celebrated the completion of their stand-up paddleboard project with a ceremonial splashing. (Photo by George Sass)

A dozen Rising Tide participants, led by CBMM staff and volunteers, worked together over approximately six months, with a summer break for camp programming, to bring the paddleboards to life.

The first few months were filled with the prep work, including building ladder and rocker tables, sawing cedar for the top and bottom panels, and assembling the internal skeleton frame.

Once the program resumed in September, the focus turned to bead and cove strip rail assembly, top panel attachment, and shaping. Last week, the group sealed the boards with fiberglass and epoxy in the final step to get them ready for the water.

Constructing two boards meant twice as much action for the students to keep all hands busy during class time. One was recently auctioned off to help support the program, and the other will remain in CBMM’s fleet of paddle craft as an enduring reminder of the hard work of the students to take the project from start to finish.

“Although the project had a few complicated steps, most of the work was straightforward and fun,” Wallace said. “It was a great experience for the students to take ownership of the work and see how each component makes the paddleboard look more complete.”

In December, Rising Tide will focus on a series of holiday workshops that offer a free opportunity for students to create unique homemade gifts for family and friends. (Register here today.)

After a holiday break, the program will return in the new year, starting on Jan. 23, to tackle another exciting project. This time, the students will work alongside apprentices from CBMM’s Shipyard on the build of a St. Michaels scow.

The program meets each Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school from 3:30-5:30pm at CBMM. Transportation is offered from the Easton YMCA and St. Michaels Middle/High School.

Bistro St. Michaels emerged as the winner of this year’s oyster stew competition after polling of 500 OysterFest guests.

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Nov. 4, 2022 – The culinary team from Bistro St. Michaels, led by Chef Doug Stewart, landed atop the podium at this year’s Oyster Stew Competition as part of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s annual OysterFest last Saturday.

After a tally of votes following a blind polling of 500 festival guests who sampled five different stews, Bistro St. Michaels’ “Stew A” emerged victorious. Theo’s Steakhouse of St. Michaels, led by Chef Aura Delgado, was runner-up with “Stew D,” and Ruse at the Wildset and Chef Michael Correll took third place in the voting with “Stew B.”

In total, more than 3,000 guests were on hand to celebrate the Bay’s favorite bivalve at the event, which returned to CBMM’s waterfront campus for the first time since 2019. More information about OysterFest can be found at cbmm.org.

CBMM’s Start Your Own Oyster Garden workshop returns on Oct. 22, led by Dr. Lawrence Rudner.

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Oct. 13, 2022 – Mike and Jody Rennie take pride in welcoming out-of-town visitors to their home on the banks of the Miles River with a taste of the Eastern Shore.

“It’s neat when we have friends over to be able to actually serve them crabs that we’ve caught off the dock and oysters that we’re growing out there in the cages,” Mike Rennie said.

The oysters are a relatively recent addition to the hyper-local menu since the Easton, Md., couple took part in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Start Your Own Oyster Garden workshop in March 2021.

Led by Dr. Lawrence Rudner with support from CBMM Workshop Education Manager Kendall Wallace, the three-hour workshop provides all the information needed to successfully grow oysters off your dock. There are still spots available for the next one on Oct. 22 from 9am-12pm at Van Lennep Auditorium.

The first hour is devoted to the practical aspects of oyster gardening and explaining why oysters are vital members of the Bay ecosystem.

Then, participants get to work building their own oyster cages. All tools and materials are provided for everyone to head home with three floating cages full of seed oysters.

“There’s a lot to learn about oysters,” said Rudner, a retired statistician and master oyster gardener. “They are a part of the common culture of the area, and I enjoy helping people get a better understanding of them and how they grow.”

CBMM’s Start Your Own Oyster Garden workshop provides you with all the information needed to successfully grow oysters off your dock.

Rudner has been growing oysters off his dock in St. Michaels for the past 10 years, and over time, his hobby has become a passion. This will be his third time leading the workshop at CBMM.

Rudner’s presentation includes details on the difference between wild and aquaculture oysters, tips for protecting against the potentially lethal bacteria vibrio, info on how Maryland residents can write off oystering supplies on their taxes, and much more.

“Most people don’t realize that if you microwave oysters for a little bit, they open much easier,” Rudner said. “You can easily open up the shell, then put them back on ice, and you never know the difference. It’s much easier to shuck that way.”

Rudner provides a myriad of different interesting facts like that on all aspects of the Bay’s favorite bivalve to provide something new for everyone, touching on many of the themes highlighted in CBMM’s Oystering on the Chesapeake exhibition.

“It’s really a natural home for teaching this class,” Rudner said.

The son of an oyster biologist who grew up on the Bay’s Western Shore, Willem Roosenberg had more background on the topic than most when he took part in Rudner’s workshop.

The Ohio University professor owns a home in St. Michaels and spends every summer on the Eastern Shore doing terrapin research on Poplar Island. These days, he has five oyster cages floating off his dock and relishes the opportunity to enjoy oysters by the dozen on-the-half-shell, in bisque, and more.

“I’ve been eating oysters all of my life and have watched the populations here in the Chesapeake Bay decline,” Roosenberg said. “Ultimately, I do it because I love to eat the oysters. But also, it’s really satisfying to be growing my own and feel like I’m contributing to helping make the Bay a better place.”

After moving to the area from Pennsylvania, Mike and Jody Rennie were similarly intrigued to dive into a unique slice of Eastern Shore culture when they signed up to participate.

The couple found Rudner’s presentation engaging and the cage building process straightforward and enjoyable. Over the past year, the CBMM members have continued to reap the benefits from that morning on campus with six floating cages housing more than 1,000 oysters.

For the most part, the maintenance on the oyster cages is minimal. They merely need to be power-washed every few weeks in the summer months.

The thrill is in harvesting the oysters, experimenting in the kitchen with all sorts of recipes and then sharing their favorites with friends.

“We’ve had fun trying a lot of different things,” Jody Rennie said. “We’ve done Oysters Rockefeller, oyster stew, oyster casserole. Cooking them in basil and parmesan is pretty good, and you can’t beat butter and garlic.”

The Changing Chesapeake set to open at CBMM on March 1

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