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November 1, 2025

Centreville Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Centreville

7 Ed Notes

CBMM’s Shipyard Offers Full Slate of Winter Programming

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  1. Whether you’re looking to learn something new or build on your skills in the workshop, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Shipyard has an array of hands-on programs on tap this winter through its Apprentice for a Day Program.

The upcoming opportunities to be a part of CBMM’s working waterfront include Shipyard Workdays on Feb. 3, Feb. 17, March 9, and March 30, plus a Leather Working Workshop (Jan. 27-28) and a Dovetail “Ditty Box” Workshop (Feb. 23-25).

These limited-capacity programs are led by Shipyard staff and experienced guest instructors and offer discounted pricing for CBMM members. Advance registration is required. To register and get more information about Apprentice for a Day programming, visit cbmm.org/afad.

Held on select Saturdays from 10am-4pm throughout the year, CBMM’s Shipyard Workdays offer the chance to learn the fundamentals of boat building and repair while working on new construction and restoration projects. Right now, the projects include the restoration of Concordia sloop Osprey and refit of 1920 buyboat Winnie Estelle.

The cost for a Shipyard Workday is $60 per participant with a 20% discount for CBMM members. Participants must be at least 16 years old, unless accompanied by an adult.

Led by CBMM’s Curatorial Shipwright Sam Hilgartner, the two-day Leather Working Workshop is designed to share both the basics and more complex intricacies of leather working for marine applications. This includes identifying leather types, hole punching, stitching techniques, leather conditioning, pattern making, and leather tool usage.

Participants will learn while working on a simple project of their choosing, such as a knife and spike sheath, oar wrap, wheel wrap, or sheet block covering. All tools and materials are provided in the cost of registration, which is $100 with a 20% discount for CBMM members.

Participants in the Dovetail “Ditty Box” Workshop spend three days in the Shipyard constructing a custom mahogany box modeled on the ones in which sailors historically made to hold their most cherished belongings while on the water.

Instructor Grigg Mullen will teach participants how to cut dovetail joints, shape the top-edge profile, make and set holly inlays, and set the hardware on their box, which will be roughly 4 inches by 6 ½ inches by 11 ¼ inches. All materials are included in the cost of registration, which is $625 with a 20% discount for CBMM members.

Stay tuned to the Apprentice for a Day webpage for more unique Shipyard programming in the spring, including a marine welding course in partnership with Chesapeake College (March 22-24), Small Diesel Engine Familiarization & Maintenance (April 8-9 and 15-16) and more.

And, don’t miss the return of Coffee & Wood Chips with Shipyard Education Programs Manager Jenn Kuhn on Feb. 20, sharing the latest updates on all that’s happening in the Shipyard.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Waterman and Writer Brent Lewis to Host CBMM Story Swap January 11

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The son of a Kent Island waterman, Brent Lewis has been around men and women who make their living on the Chesapeake Bay his entire life.

Lewis said his mother early on shut down any thought that he might follow that path, but over the years, the local author and historian’s appreciation for the demanding work and the characters who keep the industry alive has only increased.

It’s why Lewis is so passionate about offering watermen a platform to share their stories.

“Living here for so long, I just had this idea that a lot of the people in our community don’t really understand the watermen’s life or what they do,” said Lewis, who will host a Watermen’s Story Swap on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 5:30pm in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Van Lennep Auditorium.

Lewis has emceed a handful of similar events over the past decade, and he’s realized the power of gathering watermen together to explain their shared experience through enlightening, funny, and often profound tales.

At CBMM, Lewis will lead a panel that features both working and retired watermen hailing from around the Eastern Shore. The suggested ticket price is $8 per participant, with both in-person and virtual options available at cbmm.org/WatermenStorySwap. The event is funded through CBMM’s Regional Folklife Center under the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

Lewis has found certain themes—mentors, bad weather, and unexpected Bay adventures, to name a few—to be universal, but ultimately, it’s the panelists’ unique memories collected over years on the water and the free-flowing format that make these conversations equal parts entertaining and unpredictable.

“You never know where we’re going to end up,” Lewis said. “We don’t have to stick to the topics as long as everyone’s involved and having fun. It kind of runs the gamut between really hearty belly laughs to more emotional storytelling.”

The author of four books with a fifth underway, Lewis has long helmed an oral history project with the Kent Island Heritage Society, and at the first story swap in 2016, held before a standing-room crowd in Grasonville, he brought together eight watermen who he’d interviewed for that project. There have been other iterations, including a couple at Chesapeake College’s Chesapeake Storytelling Festival, but it’s been more than five years since the last one.

Lewis found a partner in CBMM through its Folklife Center to launch the latest Watermen’s Story Swap, this time with the focus expanding beyond Queen Anne’s County. He and videographer Josh Willis are recording an on-going series of oral histories as part of the partnership. The Jan. 11 Speaker Event, bringing together watermen from the mid and lower Eastern Shore, will be documented among that group.

Lewis said working with CBMM’s Director of Curatorial Affairs & Exhibitions Jen Dolde and Vice President of Education & Interpretation Jill Ferris has breathed new life into the project by backing his belief in the importance of capturing these stories—both the ordinary and extraordinary.

“Working with CBMM, their enthusiasm for getting these stories down before they’re gone has helped keep my enthusiasm up,” Lewis said. “I can tell by talking to Jen and Jill that this is something that they feel is positive and beneficial to the community. If we don’t take the opportunity to document these watermen’s stories, once they’re gone, they’re gone.”

As much as anything, Lewis is excited to reach a new audience with this Story Swap. He’s worked hard to assemble a panel that will represent different voices within the industry and bring together watermen from across the Chesapeake.

With the group spanning geography and generations all together on Jan. 11, Lewis will start the conversation and see where it goes.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Lewis said. “If it goes right—and knock on wood I’ve never had one go badly—it’s very entertaining, it’s very informative, and I don’t think the audience members forget it very quickly.”

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Mitchell graduates CBMM’s Shipwright Apprentice Program

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Megan Mitchell (second from left) poses (L-R) with Vice President of Shipyard Operations Christian Cabral, Shipyard Education Programs Manager Jenn Kuhn, and Maryland Department of Labor Apprenticeship Navigator Jane Sinclair after last Friday’s graduation ceremony.

At the beginning, what excited Megan Mitchell most about the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Shipwright Apprentice Program was the chance to put boatbuilding theory into practice.

Over three years, Mitchell has learned while doing her part on a variety of projects, most notably the CBMM Shipyard’s build of Maryland Dove. As she completes the program, CBMM’s Seip Family Foundation Shipyard Apprentice is grateful for the hands-on experiences building, repairing, and maintaining traditional Chesapeake Bay vessels – and the sawdust-infused memories she’s gathered along the way.

“In this industry, there are so many things that you really have to learn by doing,” said Mitchell, who came to CBMM after completing a one-year program at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, Wash. “For me, this has been great for the guided experience and having a whole yard full of teachers to learn from.”

Mitchell officially graduated CBMM’s Shipwright Apprentice Program last Friday in a Shipyard ceremony attended by CBMM staff and friends. She became the third graduate, and first woman, to complete the program since it became accredited through the Maryland Department of Labor in 2018.

The graduation ceremony offered a well-deserved celebration of Mitchell’s growth as a boat builder and contributions to the team since arriving in January 2021.

“We’re so proud of Megan and the work that she has put in during her apprenticeship,” CBMM Vice President of Shipyard Operations Christian Cabral said. “Megan rose to every challenge that we sent her way with a thoughtful approach that rubbed off on everybody in our Shipyard. We’ll certainly miss having Megan around every day, but we know she’ll be great in what’s next for her.”

Mitchell’s path to a career in boatbuilding is a testament to that determination and enterprising spirit.

A Northern Virginia native, Mitchell had barely ever been in a boat before taking up sailing as a student at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md. After graduation, she contemplated a career in data analytics before a volunteer opportunity at Connecticut’s Mystic Seaport led to a leap into the world of traditional wooden boatbuilding.

“Sometimes you’ve got to take chances and see where it leads you,” Mitchell said. “If I had done the wise thing and stayed on the path that I decided on in college, I wouldn’t be here, and I’d probably be a lot more miserable.”

Mitchell’s one-year program certificate from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding satisfied the first year of CBMM’s apprenticeship program, which in full requires participants to log 8,000 hours of real work experience, plus leadership and management skill development.

With that knowledge base, Mitchell was excited to dive in at CBMM to learn the trade one project at a time, working alongside CBMM’s shipwrights on traditional Chesapeake vessels for outside clients as well as CBMM’s own historic floating fleet.

Some of the biggest learning moments came in the small details of the job, she said.

“There are a few neat bits of repair that I’m proud of, but they’re all under several layers of paint now,” Mitchell said with a smile.

Among the highlights of her apprenticeship: Mitchell handled a good portion of the caulking on Maryland Dove and also assisted Curatorial Shipwright Sam Hilgartner on spar making and rigging on the reproduction of the ship that accompanied the first European settlers to Maryland in 1634.

Most recently, Mitchell led the new build of a St. Michaels sailing scow with help from CBMM’s Rising Tide after-school program. The project, involving collaboration with CBMM’s Shipyard, Education and Curatorial teams to revive a century old design utilized by the Miles River Yacht Club, served as a capstone of sorts to her apprenticeship.

Beyond those projects in the Shipyard, Mitchell was able to take courses in marine welding and metal fabrication through Chesapeake College as part of the apprenticeship. She also received Marine Corrosion Certification through the American Boat and Yacht Council, logged 360+ hours of sea time on CBMM vessels, and gained experience leading CBMM’s Women’s Woodworking Workshop.

“Megan’s confidence has grown immensely during her time here,” CBMM’s Shipyard Education Programs Manager Jenn Kuhn said. “It’s been really cool to see. She’s a lot more comfortable now going after a project and knowing that she’s got it.”

Along the way, Mitchell found the atmosphere on CBMM’s waterfront campus to be a strong fit for what interests her most about the field, which is sharing the history of the vessels and explaining the trade. She hopes to ultimately find a position within the industry that emphasizes project management and education.

“Boatbuilding seems like this horribly complicated, arcane thing, but it doesn’t have to be,” Mitchell said. “It is complicated, but it’s not necessarily difficult. It’s just a lot of moving parts. So, I see that there is a need in the maritime museum industry for people who can explain this complicated thing with many moving parts in a way that people find approachable.”

Mitchell called being the first woman to graduate from CBMM’s accredited program “important but shockingly not very daunting.” She’s found the Shipyard and wider boatbuilding industry to be largely inclusive and welcoming for anyone willing to put in the work.

No doubt it helped to have Kuhn, who completed a CBMM apprenticeship prior to the program’s accreditation, as a model to follow. Ultimately, Mitchell hopes that she can similarly set an example for the next generation of boatbuilders.

“Since I have been here, now there is space for someone else who is like me,” Mitchell said. “That’s someone who doesn’t necessarily come from a boating background, someone who is more the crafty sort than the hard-bitten Chesapeake sort, and someone who is a woman.”

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CBMM Summer Camp registration Begins January 2

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Amid the chill of winter, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is gearing up for summer fun and the return of its popular summer camps for children ages 4-15. 

Registration for these weeklong camps offering Bay-themed fun and learning is set to open on Jan. 2, 2024, with a two-week sign-up period exclusively for CBMM members. Open registration will begin on Jan. 16 and continue until camps are filled.

This year, CBMM will offer eight weeks of camps, beginning June 24. To register for the Sea Squirts (ages 4-6), Terrapins (grades 1-3), Summer Workshop (grades 4-6 & 6-9), or Museum Masters (grades 4-6 & 6-9) camps, visit cbmm.org/summercamps. Capacity is limited for these camps, so early registration is encouraged.

 The full day camps cost $375 per week, while the half-day Sea Squirts camp cost is $165 per week. (Note: There is special pricing for the week of the Fourth of July of $300 and $130, respectively, because there is no camp on the holiday.) CBMM members are offered a 20% discount on tuition. Scholarships are available for campers with financial need.

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 [email protected]. 

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. Following age-appropriate lesson plans in a small group setting, the programs put an emphasis on creating a fun, hands-on learning environment that includes stories, games, crafts, environmental and on-the-water activities, and creative projects.

The Sea Squirts camp, designed for children 4-6 years old, will be offered on a weekly schedule throughout the summer from 9am-noon Monday-Friday, while the full-day Terrapins camp, for children entering grades 1-3, runs from 9am-4pm.

 Both camps will follow a different theme weekly, including Chesapeake Critters: Aquatic Animals (June 24-28), Red, White, & Bay (July 1-3, 5), Shipwrecked! (July 8-12), Feathers, Fins, & Furs (July 15-19), Bay Scientists (July 22-26), Water World (July 29-Aug. 2), Adventure on the Bay (Aug. 5-9) and Chesapeake Critters: Land & Sky (Aug. 12-16). 

Geared toward older children, the Summer Workshop camp offers an expansion of CBMM’s Rising Tide after-school program by mixing traditional camp fun and workshop-based projects.

This program will be offered for campers in grades 4-6 during the weeks of July 1, July 15, July 22, and Aug. 5, and in grades 6-9 during the weeks of July 8, July 29, and Aug. 12. These sessions run Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm.

 The Museum Masters camp offers a behind-the-scenes pass to CBMM to learn all that goes into a museum and its exhibitions. Open to grades 4-6 the week of June 24 and grades 6-9 the week of July 22, this camp presents a unique opportunity to explore CBMM’s collection and help create a special group exhibit.

Contact [email protected] with further questions about this year’s camp offerings or for registration support.

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Coming Home: Anthony ‘Turk’ Cannon set to perform at CBMM’s Welcome Center Grand Opening

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Renowned smooth jazz saxophonist and St. Michaels native Anthony “Turk” Cannon will perform at CBMM’s Welcome Center Grand Opening on Dec. 2.

Growing up in St. Michaels, Anthony Cannon learned the joys and challenges of working the water from his father, Wilson “Turk” Cannon.

From a young age, Anthony and his four siblings were out on their dad’s workboat Doris N. sorting the day’s catch of crabs and tonging for oysters.

Yet, Anthony said he didn’t start to realize the full impact that the iconic waterman made across generations in the local community until his death in 2014 at the age of 80.

“I knew my father was well-known and liked in St. Michaels, but Dad didn’t talk about the stuff that he did,” Cannon said. “Half the stuff, I didn’t know he did until he had passed. People would just come and talk about my father. I didn’t know. He never talked about it.”

That family history explains why Anthony Cannon, now a nationally recognized smooth jazz saxophonist known by the stage name Anthony “Turk” Cannon in homage to his father, is so proud and excited about his upcoming performance at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum on Dec. 2 as part of the Grand Opening for its new Welcome Center.

During the celebration of the transformational new building, Cannon will take the stage with his five-piece jazz ensemble overlooking Fogg’s Cove adjacent to the Oystering on the Chesapeake exhibition that houses the skipjack E.C. Collier that Turk Cannon crewed on for years as well as a life-size cutout picturing and quotes from the waterman who was a primary source during the construction of the display.

Now living in Pennsylvania, Cannon said it’s always special to perform on the Eastern Shore, and even better that this gig is just a stone’s throw from the house on Lee Street where Cannon grew up that remains in his family and continues to feel like home.

“I’m most comfortable every time I come across that Bay Bridge,” Cannon said. “Playing (at CBMM), I feel like I’m supposed to be here. You’ll hear it, and you’ll see it. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”

The Cannon family has quite a story to share.

Turk Cannon was the son of a farmer who grew up near Crisfield before marrying his wife Doris and relocating to St. Michaels at the age of 18 to seek a career on the water. The Cannons were married for 61 years, raising five children along the way.

Turk Cannon was a fixture in St. Michaels Harbor with his boat moored at the Honeymoon Bridge adjacent to CBMM’s campus. He was happy to share his passion with his kids but also sure to encourage them to find their own paths.

It was a tremendous point of pride for Turk that none of his children became watermen and three of them earned college degrees.

“We saw how hard he and my mom worked, and we just didn’t want to disappoint them,” said Anthony Cannon, who earned baseball scholarship to Howard University and went on to a professional career in cybersecurity.

Cannon said his unlikely music career is a reflection of that upbringing. He took up the clarinet at St. Michaels Middle School before quitting in eighth grade to focus on baseball, and he didn’t pick up the saxophone until he was 33 years old.

Long a jazz fan, Cannon got the motivation that he needed to pursue his dream at a music festival in the 1990s when renowned jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison encouraged him to “go get a horn” and start playing.

Just like that, Cannon enrolled in music theory classes at a local community college and began his journey. Today, he plays alongside a who’s who of world-renowned musicians, has endorsement deals for his sax, mouthpiece, and ligatures, and his original compositions are featured on all the major music streaming platforms.

Ultimately, Cannon believes the confidence and drive necessary to launch a successful music career from such humble beginnings comes from his father’s constant encouragement.

“This is a guy who didn’t go to college or even high school, but he never said no to us trying to be better,” Cannon said. “He always used to say, ‘If you’re going to do it, do it. Don’t play around with it.’”

That sentiment explains why he added his father’s nickname to his stage. Most of his friends in the industry now call him Turk, just like all the watermen used to do with his dad.

“I was so proud of his life,” said Cannon, who also has a forthcoming song called “Turk.” “When he passed away, I wanted to make sure I kept his name out there and people didn’t forget him.”

At CBMM, Turk Cannon’s memory is alive and well through the Oystering exhibition. The waterman was part of E.C. Collier’s crew when it ceased operation in 1983 with the death of Capt. John Larrimore, and when the dredge boat became part of the exhibition in the early 1990s, he served as a primary source describing life on the vessel.

Turk Cannon was honored by the Talbot Watermen Association during Watermen’s Appreciation Day at CBMM in 2012, and because he faithfully took Doris N. around Navy Point and out on the Miles River almost daily well into his 70s, he’s still fondly remembered by many local residents.

No doubt many of those friends will be on hand for Anthony Cannon’s performance at the Welcome Center Grand Opening on Dec. 2. It’s fitting that a son of St. Michaels will help usher in the next chapter in CBMM’s history with a nod to the past and his family’s rich legacy.

“We’re going to get it,” Cannon said with a wide smile. “We’re going to play some cover tunes. We’re going to play some of my original stuff. It’s going to be a good day.”

Guests can get more details and RSVP now to join in the fun at this free community event at cbmm.org/WelcomeCenterGrandOpening.

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CBMM invites community to Welcome Center Grand Opening on Dec. 2

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The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is thrilled to invite the community to its Welcome Center Grand Opening on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 10am-4pm.

The festivities will begin with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new building at 10:30am and continue with a festival-style celebration highlighting the theme of “Winter on the Chesapeake” that features authentic Chesapeake Bay experiences, including food demonstrations, hands-on activities, campus tours, and live music.

The entertainment includes a performance by renowned smooth jazz saxophonist and St. Michaels native Anthony “Turk” Cannon, whose father Wilson “Turk” Cannon was an iconic waterman who is featured in CBMM’s Oystering on the Chesapeake exhibition.

CBMM general admission is free for all guests that day to share in the celebration of the transformational new addition to the campus experience. Get more information and sign up to receive the latest event updates via email at cbmm.org/WelcomeCenterGrandOpening.

“This is a truly exciting day in CBMM’s history that has been many years in the making,” President & CEO Kristen Greenaway said. “Our wonderful new Welcome Center is integral to CBMM’s mission and takes the guest experience to the next level, and we look forward to sharing all that it has to offer with our friends and community partners at the Grand Opening. We’re grateful to all who have played a part in making this building a reality and delighted to celebrate with everyone.”

CBMM’s new Welcome Center is a 12,000-square-foot, fully ADA-accessible building constructed overlooking Fogg’s Cove, housing three exhibition spaces, a reception desk, restrooms, and the Museum Store. Its construction marks the start of Phase II of CBMM’s ongoing Master Plan campus upgrades.

Guests will find a new orientation exhibition, Navigating the Chesapeake’s Maritime Culture, constructed on a wall adjacent to the entrance that uses photos and artifacts to set up the themes found across campus.

Water Lines: Chesapeake Watercraft Traditions is an exhibition showcasing CBMM’s small craft collection, some of which have been in storage and will be shared with guests for the first time, while the forthcoming Stories from the Shoreline exhibition will present an expansion of the storytelling in the current Waterfowling exhibition to include info about the ecology of the Bay and the experiences of the people who have called the region home over time.

In its new home, the Museum Store will continue to be a shopping destination carrying unique items, including home decor, souvenirs, toys, and apparel with coastal, nautical, and regional themes. It’s a space designed to engage guests with stylized ceiling tiles, a historic photo of Crisfield’s Horsey Brothers Department Store, and several exhibit vessels. Guests exit onto the Joan & Ned Hennighausen Family Veranda with excellent views of the Miles River.

During the Welcome Center Grand Opening, guests are invited to explore the new building while also experiencing “Winter on the Chesapeake” through special programming led by CBMM staff and community partners. There will also be a variety of food items and beverages, including beer and cocktails, available for purchase.

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Anthony Cannon and his five-piece jazz ensemble will take the stage for a special homecoming performance.

Cannon – who added “Turk” to his stage name in homage to his father – grew up just a few blocks away on Lee Street with a keen appreciation for the cultural heritage that CBMM preserves.

For many years, Turk Cannon kept his workboat moored at Honeymoon Bridge adjacent to CBMM’s campus, and he also crewed on the skipjack E.C. Collier that is on exhibition in the Oystering building. In that exhibition, guests can find a life-size cutout of the elder Cannon and quotes from the waterman who served as a primary source during its construction in 1993.

As part of that process, Turk Cannon shared his pride that his five children would not “have” to be watermen and could decide their own paths. With this concert, Anthony Cannon will help celebrate a new chapter in CBMM’s history with a nod to the past within view of the exhibition building that shares his father’s story.

“Performing at CBMM will truly be a full circle moment for me and my family,” Cannon said. “St. Michaels is home and such a big part of who I am and the music that I play. It’s an honor to be part of the Welcome Center’s Grand Opening. We’re going to have a lot of fun celebrating that day.”

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational organization that preserves and explores the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and makes this resource accessible 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.

CBMM is hosting a Grand Opening for its new Welcome Center on Dec. 2 from 10am-4pm.

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The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Shipyard Completes Work on Mr. Dickie

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The Shipyard team began work on the new construction build last fall after finishing up its build of Maryland Dove and worked over the past year under the direction of Shipyard Foreman Jeff Reed to bring the vessel to life.

A contract build for owners Grigg and Cindy Mullen of Lexington, Va., Mr. Dickie will be on display later this month at the Sultana Downrigging Festival in Chestertown before returning to dock at CBMM.

“Grigg provided the opportunity for us to have our Shipyard team do a complete build from start to finish, creating a unique object in a way that realizes Grigg and our dream of a comprehensive construction that allows for public and Shipwright education,” said Vice President of Shipyard Operations Christian Cabral. “It’s been an incredible experience.”

The construction of the unique vessel in CBMM’s Shipyard offered a glimpse into the past while highlighting the future for a historic style of vessel vital to the story of the Chesapeake Bay.

Buyboats are cross-planked workboats that were traditionally used for hauling oysters from skipjacks to market in season and anything else that needed transporting the rest of the year. Today, there are estimated to be fewer than 30 buyboats that continue to ply the Bay’s waters.

Mr. Dickie pays homage to the 60-foot buyboat Mundy Point, designed to bring the buyboat look to a scaled-down 36-foot version. It was constructed from heart pine, white oak, Atlantic cedar, and western red cedar, and outfitted with a restored late-1930s Buda diesel engine. 

A retired engineering professor, Grigg Mullen maintained a hands-on role throughout the yearlong construction, working alongside CBMM’s Shipyard crew whenever his schedule allowed. He and Cindy were on hand for a CBMM Member Night on Oct. 12 celebrating Mr. Dickie and the Oct. 20 launch for the new buyboat that is named in honor of the late Dickie Whaley, Mullen’s neighbor growing up in Queen Anne’s County.

“It’s been a wonderful year building Mr. Dickie and working with the Shipyard folks,” Mullen said. “Every time there was a decision to make, it was always—if we do it this way, it’s going to be better. It’s turned out wonderfully.”

With Mr. Dickie completed, CBMM’s Shipyard will stay busy with a variety of projects heading into the winter months, including on-going work on a pair of buyboats in its historic floating fleet. 

Winnie Estelle, CBMM’s passenger-carrying 1920 buyboat, is amidst a refit that includes the removal, fabrication, and replacement of its structural timbers, while 1938 buyboat Choptank is undergoing a final fit out, which involves building out the interior with cabins and heads for expedition-style overnight trips and outfitting it with modern safety equipment and a new rig.

Find more information about CBMM’s Shipyard and its projects at cbmm.org/shipyard.

 

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CBMM gets Festive with Eastern Shore Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival: Holiday Edition

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The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum gets in the festive spirit next month, hosting the Holiday Edition of the Eastern Shore Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival on Saturday, Nov. 18.

After drawing a strong crowd back in April for the spring edition, the festival returns to CBMM’s waterfront campus for the one-day fall event from 10am-4pm. Purchase advance tickets now at cbmm.org/seaglassfestival.

A fun-filled tradition since 2011, the Eastern Shore Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival highlights artisans and craftspeople who come from near and far to exhibit and sell coastal and sea-glass related jewelry, home décor, art, and more.

This Holiday Edition is expected to showcase more than 60 exhibitors and puts an emphasis on festive arts and crafts heading into the holiday season. A full listing of vendors and more information can be found at seaglassfestival.com.

Festival guests will enter campus through CBMM’s new Welcome Center, getting a first look at the new building overlooking Fogg’s Cove and the chance to shop in the new Museum Store inside. (Please note that the Welcome Center’s exhibition spaces are not yet open to the public.)

“I’m so excited to have the new CBMM Welcome Center open in time for the Holiday Edition!” festival founder and organizer Kim Hannon said. “This will allow us to expand the festival across campus with two stages of live music and even more opportunity for guests to enjoy all that CBMM has to offer.”

Each ticket includes entrance to the Eastern Shore Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival, live music, and all the exhibitions and historic structures on the CBMM campus. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase, including craft beer and specialty cocktails.

There will be live music on both sides of campus, with stages on both the historic Tolchester Beach Bandstand and Fogg’s Landing.

Richard LaMotte, “Pure Sea Glass” author and sea glass expert, and Mary McCarthy, sea glass expert, will be available for shard identification throughout the day.

Tickets are $7 for CBMM member adults and active and retired members of the military (with ID); $19 for non-member adults; $16 for seniors (ages 65 and up) and college students (with ID); $7 for non-member children ages 6–17; and free for member children 6–17, and all children 5 and under. CBMM members at the Family & Friends level and above can also receive the $7 discounted admission for two adult guests.

Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the gate the day of the festival. Additional free event parking will be available at St. Michaels Middle/High School, with a complimentary shuttle service to and from CBMM running throughout the day.

Food and drinks are available for an additional cost, with carry-on alcohol prohibited. For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including the Eastern Shore Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival.

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Celebrate OysterFest at CBMM on Oct. 28

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The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum will celebrate the Bay’s favorite bivalve at OysterFest on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10am-4pm.

CBMM’s OysterFest features oysters served a variety of ways, along with other local fare, craft beer, and spirits, plus live music on two stages, an oyster stew competition, a full schedule of demonstrations and presentations, children’s activities, and more.

Guests can savor Chesapeake Bay oysters, with both raw and cooked options available, from the Talbot Watermen Association and other local oyster farms.

There will also be a variety of Chesapeake delicacies and other food offerings via local vendors available for purchase, plus a beverage selection that includes specialty cocktails and an array of local craft beer options.

For OysterFest, guests will enter campus through CBMM’s new Welcome Center, getting a first look at the new building overlooking Fogg’s Cove and the chance to shop in the new Museum Store inside. (Please note that the exhibition spaces within the Welcome Center are not yet open to the public.)

Purchase your tickets in advance now for this rain-or-shine event and learn more at cbmm.org/oysterfest.

The always-popular oyster stew competition invites guests to sample offerings from various local restaurants and then vote for their favorite to decide which chefs will claim the coveted title.

There will be live music on both sides of campus all day long, with stages on both the Tolchester Beach Bandstand and Fogg’s Landing. Swamp Donkey Newgrass will be playing the historic bandstand, bringing its unique “newgrass” sound with a combination of genre-spanning original songs and covers to OysterFest for the fifth time.

Guests can head to Van Lennep Auditorium throughout the day to hear from a variety of guest speakers sponsored by the Upper Shore Regional Folklife Center through the Maryland Traditions Program of the Maryland State Arts Council. The offerings include a series of panels related to CBMM’s special exhibition The Changing Chesapeake and a history presentation from Dr. Clara Small.

The American Chesapeake Club will be on hand to discuss Maryland’s official dog, the Chesapeake Bay retriever, and showcase its retrieving ability, while the 100 Hundred Shores Project will offer the opportunity for guests to dye their own shirts using water from the Miles River.

There’s also an oyster slurp-off contest to add to the friendly competition, plus a wide range of Chesapeake-themed children’s activities, including games, model boat building, and storytime.

Guests can get in the festive spirit by purchasing OysterFest gear in the new Museum Store, showcasing this year’s featured historic oyster tin from CBMM’s collection. The one-gallon tin, packed in the 1940s by W.E. Riggin & Co., out of Crisfield, Md., is emblazoned on shirts and stickers, as well as the commemorative mugs that will be used for the oyster stew competition.

This year, OysterFest is generously sponsored by M&T Bank with support from Eastern Shore Tents & Events, Kelly Distributors, and What’s Up Media.

OysterFest admission is $7 for CBMM member adults and active and retired members of the military (with ID); $19 for non-member adults; $16 for seniors (ages 65 and up) and college students (with ID); $7 for non-member children ages 6–17; and free for member children 6–17, and all children 5 and under. CBMM members at the Family & Friends level and above can also receive the $7 discounted admission for two adult guests.

Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the gate the day of the festival. Additional free event parking will be available at St. Michaels Middle/High School, with a complimentary shuttle service to and from CBMM running throughout the day.

Food and drinks are available for an additional cost, with carry-on alcohol prohibited. For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including OysterFest.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Urquhart joins CBMM as Director of Marketing & Communications

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Sherize Urquhart has joined the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum as Director of Marketing & Communications.

In this senior leadership position, Urquhart is responsible for overseeing and executing comprehensive communications strategies to advance CBMM’s mission.

A St. Michaels resident, Urquhart brings a demonstrated history of excellence as a marketing and communications professional and entrepreneur within the travel and tourism industry. She is the founder and Chief Experience Officer of Queens of Virtue, an award-winning travel brand specializing in luxury experiences for affluent women.

Through the firm, Urquhart has created a network to help brands, professionals, and influencers connect with an emphasis on putting diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of these relationships.

In her new position, Urquhart is excited about finding opportunities to strengthen CBMM’s connections within the local community that she calls home while cultivating new partnerships within the state, region, and beyond.

“After leaving the corporate world in 2021 to pursue entrepreneurship full-time, I had no desire to work for anyone. But there was something about the call to leadership at CBMM that resonated with me. I saw it as an opportunity to make a difference, an impact, and be a part of the culture and community of the Eastern Shore, all at once,” Urquhart said.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Urquhart holds degrees from Florida International University (Journalism & Photography) and Long Island University (Communications & Media Arts) as well as industry certifications from NYU, Florida Atlantic, Delaware, and The Travel Institute.

She has deep experience in content creation, public relations, marketing, and event management serving a variety of clients through the years, including Wanderful, a global lifestyle brand that helps women connect through travel.

Locally, Urquhart has worked in mental health and healthcare marketing and event management in Easton, Cambridge, and Annapolis.

Urquhart relocated to the Eastern Shore with her son Ayden in 2019, after her oldest daughter, Kayla, graduated from the University of Delaware, and moved to Ireland to study law, and her second daughter, Krysta, stayed in Delaware to complete her degree at Wilmington University.

Drawn by the sweet “Hallmark Town” appeal, Urquhart felt that St. Michaels would be the perfect quaint hometown to raise her son and start over. Always down for an adventure, she has enjoyed exploring CBMM’s campus and experiencing its annual events this summer, and she is passionate about sharing both with new audiences moving forward.

In a short time, Urquhart has already made a difference at CBMM with her energy and innovation.

“We are delighted to welcome Sherize as the newest addition to CBMM’s Senior Leadership Team,” CBMM President & CEO Kristen Greenaway said. “Her remarkable background and valuable insights will play a pivotal role in driving us closer to our strategic goals.”

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.