Watermen's Appreciation Day Sunday August 14th

The Talbot Watermen’s Association is bringing the 7th Annual Watermen’s Appreciation Day to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. and the Miles River on Sunday, August 14, 2016. The event is a joint fundraiser for both organizations.

The “watermen’s rodeo” boat docking contest returns to Navy Point, near the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse. Bleacher seating will be provided for spectators to the contest.

Steamed crabs, beer, and other foods and beverages will be available for purchase. The event is hosted by TWA in cooperation with CBMM, with proceeds benefiting both organizations. The pricing for steamed crabs will be set by July 24, and will be announced at that time on CBMM’s website.

Watermen’s Day also offers the public the rare opportunity to see and board a collection of historic buyboats from around the mid-Atlantic region along CBMM’s docks and waterways, as CBMM hosts the 12th Annual Chesapeake Bay Buyboat Association’s reunion.

These unique craft were used to haul seafood and cargo along the Chesapeake Bay’s waterways before many of the peninsulas were connected by bridges. As the seafood harvest declined and highways became the mode of travel the large graceful buyboats faded from local waters. Today, no more than 30 of the oyster buyboats remain on the Bay. Buyboats at CBMM during Watermen’s Day include F.D Crockett, Nellie Crockett, Thomas J., Prop Wash, East Hampton, 55th Virginia, Iva W., Old Point, and Winnie Estelle.

Beginning at 11 a.m., watch the spirited boat docking contest along Navy Point. Children’s on-the-water activities include a Pot Pie skiff rowing competition, with prizes awarded.

Starting at noon, the classic rock, country, and blues sounds of Bird Dog and the Road Kings will have people tapping their toes and dancing along the museum’s waterfront as the region’s favorite band plays live from the historic Tolchester Beach Bandstand. Also beginning 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.

Children and families can enjoy games and activities throughout the day, including competing in an anchor toss, line baiting, or a rowboat racing contest. Scenic river cruises aboard the museum’s 1920 buyboat, Winnie Estelle, will take festival-goers out on the Miles River throughout the day.

Bids can be placed on a number of silent auction items, including work by noted Chesapeake artist Marc Castelli. Silent auction bids can be made up until 4:30 p.m., with proceeds supporting the Talbot Watermen’s Association.

Throughout the day, festival-goers can get an up-close view of the museum’s floating fleet of historic Chesapeake vessels, along with a selection of working watermen’s boats. Festival admission also includes entrance to CBMM’s permanent and temporary exhibitions, including the temporary Waterfowling exhibition, Chesapeake Camo, Ammo, & Calls, and full access to the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse.

Josh Harris and Casey McManus from television's Deadliest Catch - F/V Cornelia Marie will be joining the talbot watermen and Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in the Town of St. Michaels, Maryland for Watermen's Appreciation Day & Buyboat Reunion is August 14 in St. Michaels, MD. Get your tickets now at http://bit.ly/WAD2016 . Crab pricing soon to be announced. Stay tuned. 

“Watermen’s Day is an annual favorite among locals and guests alike,” said CBMM President Kristen Greenaway. “You can meet many of the watermen who work to bring seafood to tables across the region, while having a great time celebrating the Chesapeake in such an incredibly authentic way.”

Admission to the 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. event will be collected at the gate the day of the event and includes the boat docking contest, celebrity appearances, and the Bird Dog and the Road Kings performance at $18 for adults, and $8 for children 6-17, with all children under six years of age admitted free. Museum members along with licensed watermen and their families get discounted admission at $10 per adult, and $6 per children ages 6-17. Boat rides, steamed crabs, beer, and additional food and beverages will be available for purchase.

All event parking will be available at St. Michaels High School, with free shuttle service to the museum running throughout the day.

For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including Watermen’s Appreciation Day. Leashed dogs are only permitted on the museum’s campus during regular operating hours.

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

 Pricing includes the boat docking contest, guest appearances live music with Bird Dog & the Road Kings, children’s activities, and much more. Food and drink are extra cost. This event is a joint fundraiser for the Talbot Watermen’s Association and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

FESTIVAL ENTRY PRICING

$18 Adult
$10 CBMM Member Adult & Licensed Watermen Adult*
$8 Children 6-17
$6 CBMM Member Child & Licensed Watermen Child*
FREE Children 5 & Under

*Must show license

Tickets for the event and crabs will be available at the gate, the day of the event. CBMM Member and watermen discounted tickets can be purchased in advance at CBMM’s Welcome Center and Museum Store. Watermen and their immediate family members must show proper identification for discount.

STEAMED CRAB PRICING WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN EARLY AUGUST 

*Absolutely NO CARRY-ON Alcohol is permitted for this event. All alcohol must be purchased on premise with a valid ID.

Chautauqua Summer Series returns to St. Michaels July 11-13

Chautauqua Summer Series returns to St. Michaels July 11-13

On the evenings of July 11-13, the 22^nd annual Chautauqua Summer Series brings three live performances to the waterfront campus of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. This year’s Maryland Humanities’ series features Pulitzer Prize winners Duke Ellington, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Ernest Hemingway, with all living history performances taking place from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. along the Miles River, and offered free and open to the public.

The 2016 Chautauqua Summer Series at CBMM is generously sponsored by Easton Eye Care and Karen and Langley Shook, and is funded in part by a grant from the Talbot County Arts Council, with revenues provided by the Maryland State Arts Council, Talbot County, and the Towns of Easton, Oxford and St Michaels.

“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.” With these words, American publisher Joseph Pulitzer articulated a set of standards that inspire journalists, writers, artists, and musicians in their creative endeavors.

This year's Masters of their Craft theme commemorates the centennial of the Pulitzer Prizes by featuring three Pulitzer winners on the Chautauqua stage.  On Monday, July 11, Baltimore vocalist, pianist, and actor Tevin Brown will portray Duke Ellington, the incomparable showman, and one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century with a career that spanned over fifty years. On Tuesday, July 12, educator and actress Dorothy Mains Prince will portray Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize capturing the black experience in America through her poetry. On Wednesday, July 13, the series wraps up in St. Michaels with Hemingway on Stage author and actor Brian Gordon Sinclair portraying Ernest Hemingway, one of the greatest American literary figures of the twentieth century whose work continues to influence modern literature with his trademark style of simple yet perceptive prose.

A Chautauqua performance is a historical dramatization featuring individuals who are part scholar and part actor. Each performance is broken into three acts, where the performer represents a historical figure in the first person, then invites audience questions; and in the final act, steps out of character to answer questions that the historical figure could not have been able to answer.

“Chautauqua” was the name for the Chautauqua Lake area in upstate New York, where the movement began in 1874 as a Methodist summer retreat. A wide range of religious lectures and educational programs attracted a huge following. As it evolved, the Chautauqua movement presented the latest in thinking in politics, economics, literature, science, and religion. Maryland Humanities launched the modern Chautauqua program in Maryland in 1995. 

The Chautauqua Summer Series at CBMM is free and open to the public, with guests encouraged to bring chairs and blankets for seating. All performances are held on the lawn of Fogg’s Landing, near the museum’s Steamboat Building. In the event of rain, performances will be held in the Van Lennep Auditorium, with space limited. No registration is required.

For more information, visit www.cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916. Additional information about the Chautauqua Summer Series can be found at www.mdhumanities.org.

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Maryland Humanities’ 22^nd annual Chautauqua Summer Series, Masters of their Craft, is coming to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. on July 11, 12, & 13. This year's theme features living history performances of Pulitzer Prize winners Duke Ellington, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Ernest Hemingway, as illustrated by Tom Chalkley here. The CBMM performances are scheduled to take place from 7-9 p.m. along the Miles River on Fogg’s Landing. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets for seating. In the event of rain, the performances will be moved inside. No advanced registration is required. For information on specific performances, visit www.cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.

St. Michaels Art League Juried Exhibit & Art Hunt in July

The St. Michaels Art League’s Juried Exhibit at the A.M. Gravely Gallery in St. Michaels continues through the month of July. Over thirty artists submitted their work, which was judged for hanging in the show. The Art League thanks its Juror, Dr. Anke Van Wagenberg, Senior Curator at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, for her work in assembling an amazing show.

Dr. Van Wagenberg holds a Ph.D. in Art History for the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Prior to joining the Academy Art Museum staff, she has worked at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, taught art history for 12 years at Salisbury University, and has been a researcher at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Ms. Van Wagenberg is a recognized expert on baroque, renaissance and contemporary art. The Art League is most appreciative of her artistic assessment of the paintings which has resulted in a remarkable show.

St. Michaels Art League’s Juried Exhibit is at the A.M. Gravely Gallery, 408 South Talbot Street, St. Michaels through the end of July. Gallery hours are Friday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm and on Monday and Tuesday from 10am to 3pm.  Visit www.smartleague.org  for more information.

The St. Michaels Art League and Talbot County Arts Council are once again sponsoring the Art Hunt event during the entire month of July. Beautiful paintings by the League's talented local artists will be put in each of 15 St. Michaels participating stores for scavenger hunters to find for a free ice cream cone from Justine's.  For more information on this fun event, visit www.smartleague.org