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November 14, 2025

Centreville Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Centreville

00 Post to Chestertown Spy 6 Arts Notes

Bayside Quilters of the Eastern Shore Hosts Fourth Annual Handmade Market

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This year, Bayside Quilters will hold its fourth annual Handmade Market on November 21, from 3 to 7 p.m., and November 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The guild’s talented quilters have been busy crafting quilts and other gift items, which will be for sale on the second floor of the Trappe Volunteer Fire Company at 4001 Powell Avenue in Trappe, Maryland, just in time for the holidays. These items include large and small quilts, wall hangings, table runners, rope bowls, toys, pillows, and bags, as well as a beautifully crafted raffle quilt.

The Handmade Market is an annual event that the Bayside Quilters of the Eastern Shore hold to raise funds for our outreach and educational efforts. Outreach efforts benefit many non-profits on the Eastern Shore, including the Caroline County Family Support Center, Greensboro Judy Center, Chapel District Elementary Schools, Talbot Interfaith Shelter, University of Maryland Clark Comprehensive Breast Center, Talbot Hospice and Palliative Care, and Veterans of Talbot Hospice. Bayside Quilters’ education efforts include currently teaching 4-H students in Talbot and Caroline counties to sew.

Bayside Quilters meet at 9:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at the Trappe Volunteer Fire Company, 4001 Powell Ave., Trappe, MD. New members and visitors are welcome. For more information, visit Facebook @ Bayside Quilters of the Eastern Shore, or the website www.baysidequilters.com.

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Looking at the Masters: St Martin’s Day and Martinmas

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”Saint Martín and the Beggar” (1597-99)

The Feast of St Martin, or Martinmas, is celebrated on November 11. El Greco’s painting “St Martin and the Beggar” (1597-99) (76”x41”) (National Gallery of Art, DC) is a depiction of St Martin of Tours (c.316-397), a member of the Imperial cavalry of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.  Martin was stationed in Gaul in the French city of Amiens. The story goes that on a cold winter day Martin came across a naked beggar. He took off his warm green wool robe and cut it in half to share with the poor man. That night Martin experienced a vision of Christ wearing the robe, Christ said to him, “What thou hast done for that poor man, thou hast done for me.” Another story tells that when Martin awoke, his cloak had been restored. In the painting, Martin rides a magnificent white Arabian horse, in keeping with his position. He wears black armor decorated with elaborate gold designs in the Damascene style developed by the craftsmen of Toledo, Spain. 

El Greco, was born on the island of Crete, off the Greek mainland. He was trained to be a Byzantine Greek icon painter. He later moved to Toledo, Spain, working there for the last 37 years of his life.  His Greek name Doménikos Theotokópoulos was hard to pronounce, so he was nicknamed El Greco (the Greek). He continued to paint elongated figures in the Byzantine style to accentuate the spiritual over the physical, apparent in the figure of the beggar. The viewer looks up at the two figures, and they seem monumental. In the background is the city of Toledo and the River Tagus that El Greco often included in paintings at the time. Also typical of El Greco is the use of intense colors and portrayal of a “moody” sky. This painting is considered one of his greatest.

“St Martin Renounces his Weapons (1322-26)

Martin’s father was a senior military officer; thus, Martin was obligated at age 15 to join the army. Martin’s vision encouraged him in his Christian beliefs, and he was baptized at age 18.  “St Martin Renounces his Weapons” (1322-26), painted by Simone Martini of Siena, is a depiction of the time when Martin left the army. Young Martin stands before the seated Emperor Constantine. Martin holds a cross. Constantine holds a sword. The setting is in a military camp with elegant tents, members of the Imperial Guard in attendance, and horses set in a rocky landscape. 

The painting was commissioned by Robert d’Anjou, King of Naples, to fulfill the last wish of Cardinal Montefiore, who went to Buda, Hungary in 1307 and gained the crown of Hungary for Robert d’Anjou. St Martin was born in Hungary, and Montefiore considered Martin’s aid a significant factor in his success. On returning to his home in Assisi, Montefiore asked that a chapel dedicated to St Martin be built in the church of San Francesco in Assisi. This painting is one of ten depictions of the life of St Martin painted by Martini at Assisi. An early Renaissance artist, Martini and the Sienese artists were beginning to create fully three-dimensional works of art. 

”Saint Martin Healing the Possessed Man” (1630)

Martin declared he was a soldier for Christ and became a monk, holy man, and ultimately the Bishop of Tours in 371. The hagiographer (biographer of lives of saints) Sulpicius Severus, knew Martin personally, and described several of Martin’s miracles: raising the dead, healing the sick, exorcism, and others. 

“St Martin Healing the Possessed Man” (1630) (48”x34”), painted by Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), the leading Flemish painter after the deaths of Rubens and Van Dyke, could represent a healing of the sick, or perhaps an exorcism. In the classical Baroque style, Jordaens places Martin on a high porch and dressed as the Bishop of Tours. Below him are a number of persons who appear to have come for his help and his blessing. The naked and apparently possessed man writhes on a lower step. An old man and three women of varying ages look in fear at the figure wearing the gold and blue turban, red robe, and leather boots, and drawing his sword. Is he evil, perhaps a devil, or is he the executioner if the possessed man cannot be cured? He is the only figure in foreign dress. The setting is a compilation of gilded capitals, marble columns, and arches. Jordaens leaves the viewer confused about the setting and the cast of characters. He does present a solid and masterful image of St Mark.

‘Saint Martin Healing the Possessed Man” (detail)

During restoration an overpainted coat of arms was discovered at the base of the column. The coat of arms belonged to Antonius de Rorre, a Benedictine abbot, most likely the patron for this painting, the first Jordaens altarpiece. Jordaens would continue to grow as an artist as did his reputation as the successor of Rubens and Van Dyke. 

“The Death of St Martin of Tours” (1490)

St Martin foresaw his death, and it is recorded that he said, “Allow me, my brethren, to look rather towards heaven than upon the earth, that my soul may be directed to take its flight to the Lord to whom it is going.”  “The Death of St Martin of Tours” (1490) was painted by German artist Derik Baegert (1440-c.1515). Although St Martin was born in c. 316 and died on November 8, 397 CE, at the age of eighty-one, he is depicted as a young man. Wearing a red robe, St Martin lies on a coffin covered by woven straw mat. He is mourned by a kneeling angel and four men. One with glasses reads from a scroll, the second reads from the Bible and sprinkles him with holy water, and a third prays. The elderly man kneeling in the front holds a gold candle that symbolically will light St Martins way to Heaven. Outside the windows is a Germanic landscape, and God receives the naked bodies of the faithful. The two-headed devil gesticulates at the foot of the coffin. St Martin reportedly stated, “Why are you standing here, cruel beast? You shall find no cause for grief in me!”  

“Wine on St Martin’s Day” (1566-68)

Martin was called a Saint by popular acclaim in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries, before he was actually canonized. In the Middle Ages, Catholics began a forty-day fast on November 12, the day after St Martin’s Feast Day.  The period of fasting was called Martinmas, the spiritual preparation for Christmas. The harvest season had ended and the slaughtering of livestock, particularly cattle and pigs, for winter began on November 12 in Europe. Sausage and black pudding known as “Pig cheer” were gifts. Two popular dishes were Martinmas beef and Martinmas goose. When Martin tried to hide from those who wanted him to be the Bishop of Tours, he chose a barn housing a flock of geese. Their honking alerted his trackers, and he was forced to take the job. The goose is one of Martin’s symbols. 

In many European countries Martinmas began with the lighting of bonfires or candle-light processions. A member of the community would dress as St Martin and ride on horseback distributing gifts. The ashes from the fires then might be spread on the ground as fertilizer. Another feature of Martinmas was drinking the first wine of the season. “Wine on St Martin’s Day” (1566-68) is by Pieter Brueghel the Elder (c.1525/30-1569), one of the best-known painters of landscape and genre scenes in the Netherlands. It is his largest painting (3’10’’ by 8’10’’). The celebrating villagers are composed in a triangular mass that leads up to a large red barrel of wine. Typical of Brueghel’s paintings, peasants of all ages and types drink, eat, dance, brawl and otherwise celebrate the day. Astride his white horse, St Martin cuts his red cloak in half to give it to two crippled beggars. Brueghel is known for including the poor and disabled in his paintings. The whole scene takes place outside a local village. Houses and a church tower are placed at the right side of the scene. In the distance at the left are a large town with more substantial buildings and towers. They are the homes of the wealthy, but they are not here in this merry scramble of peasants.

St Martin was the patron saint of beggars, wool-weavers, and tailors, to name a few. Although opposed to violence, he was made patron saint of the US Army Quartermaster Corp. It considered Martin to be a role model for soldiers because of his military service, compassion, and selflessness. On February 7, 1997, the Quartermasters Corp established the military Order of St Martin. Armistice Day (now Veterans Day) marks the day of the ceasefire that ended World War I at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years. Since retiring to Chestertown with her husband Kurt in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and the Institute of Adult Learning, Centreville. An artist, she sometimes exhibits work at River Arts. She also paints sets for the Garfield Theater in Chestertown.

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University of Maryland Children’s Hospital Receives Record $50 Million Gift from Tom Golisano to Advance Pediatric Care in Maryland

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In recognition of transformative gift, will be renamed University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital

BALTIMORE, Md. (October 28, 2025) A landmark $50 million gift from entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader Tom Golisano marks a defining moment for the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). As the largest philanthropic contribution in their history, this transformative investment will strengthen the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) as leaders in breakthrough science, education and compassionate care – shaping healthier futures for generations of children.

In tribute to this historic gift, the children’s hospital, located inside UMMC, the flagship hospital of UMMS, becomes the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital (UMGCH). As a new member of the Golisano Children’s Alliance, it joins a growing national coalition of premier children’s hospitals dedicated to transforming pediatric medicine through collaboration, discovery and equitable access to world-class care.

At an event in Rochester, New York, Tom Golisano unveiled new gifts to six hospitals—expanding his Golisano Children’s Alliance to a 10-member national network advancing excellence and innovation in pediatric care. Senior leaders from UMMS, UMMC and UMSOM participated in the announcement. (View recording of the Rochester event here.)

“Children’s health has always been a priority for me, and it’s been deeply rewarding to see how the Golisano Children’s Hospitals are making a profound impact on the communities they serve,” said Golisano. “I am fortunate to be able to help others in this way, and I’m looking forward to seeing what these hospitals can achieve together. Also, I plan to continue making similar transformative gifts that will strengthen this new alliance.”

“For nearly 80 years, our Children’s Hospital has been caring for Maryland’s children and families right here in downtown Baltimore. Tom Golisano’s extraordinary gift will help us create a world-class facility with programs in gene and cell therapy that move us closer to cures once thought out of reach. It will allow us to attract the best pediatric specialists in these fields – the future of pediatric health care – while accelerating the growth of our existing programs in heart care, mental health, and community health. This investment will establish a lasting legacy of healing and excellence for the children of Baltimore and beyond,” said Steven J. Czinn, MD, Director of the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital. Dr. Czinn is also The Drs. Rouben and Violet Jiji Endowed Professor of Pediatrics and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

“This historic and transformational gift comes at a time of urgency and opportunity for pediatric care in Maryland. It will have lasting impact across generations of children and families. We are deeply grateful to Tom Golisano for his vision and generosity, and we are incredibly excited to build on the momentum this gift will bring to Baltimore,” added Heather S. Culp, JD, Senior Vice President for UMMC, Senior Associate Dean for Development at UMSOM, and Chief Philanthropy Officer for University of Maryland Medicine.

Impact of the Gift: Space, Programs, People
Significantly expanding the existing children’s hospital, the gift catalyzes a comprehensive pipeline for innovation in pediatric care, research, workforce development and community health – advancing bold ideas and life-changing discoveries that will benefit children and families across Maryland and beyond. Goals include:

  • A Dedicated Home for the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital
      • Move existing inpatient and outpatient pediatric services currently located in multiple areas of the medical center and downtown into a unified, child-centered space within the new Stoler Center for Advanced Medicine (under construction with completion targeted for 2026).
      • Include new facilities for specialties like oncology, advanced critical care and emerging gene therapies
  • Expansion of Advanced Clinical Programs
      • Increase surgical capacity for complex, high-volume programs in pediatric heart care and rare diseases
      • Enhance care in NICU, PICU and general pediatric units
  • Launch of Gene Therapy Services for Children
      • Establish a comprehensive pediatric gene therapy program, offering FDA-approved, potentially curative treatments for over 20 rare childhood diseases
      • Position the hospital as a regional hub for advanced, personalized pediatric medicine
  • Acceleration of Innovation and Research
      • Expand multi-site studies on rare diseases, CAR T-cell therapy and evidence-based treatments
      • Advance research on social determinants of health and community-driven care
  • Strengthen Community Outreach and Access
      • Support new models of care addressing rising pediatric mental health challenges, obesity and chronic conditions
      • Fund outreach and innovation to reach medically underserved communities
  • Recruiting and Retention of Top Pediatric Talent
    • Attract visionary leaders, specialists and researchers to drive the next era of pediatric medicine

Golisano Invests in Maryland’s Flagship for Children’s Health

The University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital, a 90-bed facility with over 3,000 annual admissions and 118,000 outpatient visits, serves as a statewide leader in pediatric care. Supported by the University of Maryland Medical System and guided by the nation’s first public medical school, the hospital’s reach spans the entire state while its proximity to Washington, D.C. helps shape national health policy.

Research initiatives affiliated with the hospital – including the Center for Vaccine Development, the Brain Tissue Bank, Asthma Management, Pediatric HIV research and treatment – are driving breakthroughs in genetics, infectious diseases, and child health outcomes. In a recent example of this research leading to direct benefits for families in Maryland, studies of former neonatal intensive care patients informed the state’s decision to expand eligibility for early intervention services to hundreds more children each year. 

The hospital operates Maryland’s largest Level IV neonatal intensive care unit and recently cared for the youngest patient in its history at 22 weeks gestation. It was the first in the state to perform a pediatric double heart-lung transplant, the first to treat a pediatric patient with stem cells, and is home to downtown Baltimore’s dedicated pediatric emergency department. As a regional hub for pediatric intensive care, UMGCH co-operates a statewide transport network to ensure critically ill children receive timely, specialized treatment. Its children’s heart program, founded in 2012, is recognized as one of the top such programs in the nation.

Beyond clinical care, UMGCH fosters community through physician-led camps and annual patient reunions, strengthening connections between families and care teams.

The Heart of Why Funding Pediatrics Matters

As a registered nurse at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, Angela Laubach sees miracles happen every day. But she’s also experienced this care in the most personal way, because her daughter Lana is one of those miracles. During Angela’s 20-week anatomy scan, she learned that her daughter Lana had a serious heart defect. 

“As a nurse, I understood the gravity of the diagnosis, but nothing prepares you to hear those words about your own baby. The team at the children’s hospital guided us through every moment – from Lana’s open-heart surgery just six days after birth to her remarkable recovery – with compassion, and constant reassurance. Today, Lana is a joyful 3-year-old who fills our home with laughter and endless ideas. Literally, her favorite thing to say is ‘I have a better idea,’” said Angela. 

Voices Across the Institutions

Mohan Suntha, MD, President and CEO of University of Maryland Medical System:

“A gift of this magnitude to our flagship children’s hospital enables us to expand pediatric expertise, improve access and strengthen care teams across our entire system. As a result, more children in more communities will receive the specialized care they need closer to home.”

Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine: 

“We are so grateful for this profound and intentional gift from Tom Golisano, which comes at a critical time when children’s health in the U.S. is in alarming decline and funding for children’s health is increasingly at risk. Mr. Golisano is truly a remarkable individual who has put children’s health at the heart of his philanthropic mission. His tremendous generosity enables our Children’s Hospital to move forward as a bold leader in pediatric health across Maryland and beyond, enabling us to invest in cutting-edge technology and inspiring innovation among our pediatricians and pediatric surgeons in areas such as congenital heart care, targeted gene therapy, community health, and building new programs for curative therapies for pediatric genetic diseases and cancer.”

Bert W. O’Malley, MD, Executive Vice President for the Academic Health Division at UMMS; President of the University of Maryland Medical Center; and Professor of Otorhinolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine. 

“As part of a statewide academic health system, we have long had the privilege to provide Maryland children with high quality, compassionate care and advanced treatments for some of the most complex pediatric conditions. By joining the Golisano Children’s Alliance, we’re now connected to a national network of top children’s hospitals. Together, we can discover and share best practices, align on standards and launch innovative models that reach more children.”

Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, UMB President.

 “By joining the Golisano Children’s Alliance, University of Maryland, Baltimore faculty, researchers, and clinicians are further empowered to accelerate breakthroughs across all areas of childhood health and well-being. We are immensely grateful for Tom Golisano’s generosity, and we remain deeply committed to transforming the future of pediatric health here in Maryland and beyond.”

Ron V. Cummins, Jr., MBA, Senior Vice President & COO, University of Maryland Medical Center: 

“The Golisano’s historic and generous gift is an enduring investment in Maryland’s children — accelerating access to the most advanced treatments, and nurturing spaces — so that every child and family in our community receives care that honors their hopes and needs. The benefits of this gift will be felt for decades.”

To schedule an interview with one of the leaders above, please contact [email protected] or 410.328.8919. 

About Tom Golisano

Tom Golisano, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader, is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses. Mr. Golisano’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives in business, healthcare, education, animal welfare, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His investments are advancing entrepreneurship and driving the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His philanthropic contributions to education, hospitals—including multiple children’s hospitals across the country that bear his name and numerous other organizations—exceed $1 billion. 

A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985 Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities awarding grants to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.

Mr. Golisano formed and financially supports the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, where students receive a high quality business certificate and write their own entrepreneurial success stories, without having to take on enormous debt.He is the author of two Books, “Built Not Born,” a Wall Street Journal best seller and “The Italian Kid Did It!”

Connect with him at Golisanofoundation.org, Facebook: @GolisanoFoundation, X: @GolisanoFdn, Instagram: @golisanofdn, YouTube: @GolisanoFoundation

About University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital (UMGCH)

Located within the University of Maryland Medical Center, the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital is a leading resource for children with critical and chronic illnesses throughout Maryland and the mid-Atlantic. The hospital combines state-of-the-art medicine with family-centered care, offering more than 190 specialized pediatric physicians. Its services include Maryland’s largest Level IV neonatal intensive care unit and comprehensive programs in congenital heart conditions, asthma, epilepsy, and gastrointestinal disorders. Visit www.umms.org/childrens for more information.

About University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) 

As an academic private health system, UMMS is focused on delivering compassionate, high-quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

The University of Maryland School of Medicine, established in 1807 as the first public medical school in the U.S., continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world.  The School has nearly $500 million total research funding, 46 departments, centers, and institutes, more than 2,200 student trainees and over 3,000 faculty members, including notable members of the National Academy of Medicine.  As the largest public medical school in the DC/MD/VA region, faculty-physicians are working to help patients manage chronic diseases like obesity, cancer, heart disease and addiction, while also working on cutting-edge research to address the most critical generational health challenges. In 2024, the School ranked #12 among public medical schools and #27 among all medical schools for R&D expenditures by the National Science Foundation. With a $1.3 billion total operating budget, the School partners with the University of Maryland Medical Center to serve nearly 2 million patients annually. The School’s global reach extends around the world with research and treatment facilities in 33 countries. In Maryland, the School of Medicine is spearheading new initiatives in AI and health computing and partnering with the University of Maryland BioPark to develop new medical technologies and bioengineering ventures. For more information, visit medschool.umaryland.edu.

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Allegra! Women’s Chorus in Concert

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Allegra! Women’s Chorus, Easton’s premier chamber choir, will be presenting a series of concerts across the Mid-Shore this November featuring fresh arrangements of beloved favorites and new compositions.  Poetry from Sappho to St. Theresa of Avila to Emily Dickinson can be heard alongside music from composers Rosephayne Powell, Elaine Hagenburg, Craig Hella Johnson, and others.  Also featured on the program is a stunning arrangement of “Shenandoah” and the original composition “Garden of Dreams,” commissioned by the ensemble in 2022 and published with Oxford University Press.  

Allegra!’s first performance will be at the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown, 905 Gateway Drive, at 3pm, with a suggested donation of $15.  Ticketed performances will be at Trinity Cathedral, 315 Goldsborough St, Easton on November 22 at 7pm and St. Paul’s, 225 S Morris St, Oxford on November 23 at 3pm.  Tickets can be purchased for $15 at the door or by visiting www.allegroacademyeaston.com.

The women’s chorus is conducted by Amy Morgan, an accomplished musician whose education includes a Bachelors degree in Piano Performance from Salisbury University and Masters Degree in Choral Conducting from Messiah University.  Morgan has extensive experience as a choral, operetta, and musical theatre director, is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, and is an active musician the Easton community.  The program will be accompanied by Lyn Banghart on piano, Ursula Encarnacion on cello, and Ali Remesch on percussion. 

Allegra! was formed in the spring of 2019 and is a program of Allegro Academy, a non-profit music conservatory located downtown Easton, MD.  Other programs of the Academy include Allegro Youth Choirs, Summer Sing choir festival, group classes and private lessons.  Allegro Academy’s mission is to offer exceptional music education and performance experiences to the greater Talbot County Area and to make these offerings affordable to all.  Programs of the Academy are supported by generous donors, Talbot Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council.  For more information please visit www.allegroacademyeaston.com.

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Queen Annes Chorale Holiday Concert: A Classic Christmas

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The Queen Anne’s Chorale is pleased to present its annual holiday concert titled “A Classic Christmas” on Sunday, December 7th at 3:00 pm – accompanied by a chamber orchestra. The event will be held at Chesapeake College’s Todd Performing Arts Center. Audiences will delight in the stunningly beautiful music including selections from Handel’s Messiah. 

“I’m really excited for the public to enjoy our presentation” stated Robert Huntington, Artistic Director for Queen Anne’s Chorale. “Our membership has grown in all voice parts, and everyone just has so much fun singing these pieces.” 

Each concert includes the Select Ensemble, a traditional audience sing-along, and other special music. Following the concert, singers will greet audience members during a light reception.

Tickets will be available online at www.qachorale.org and are:
Adults: $25.00
Students (ages 13-17): $15.00
Children (12 and under): Free. 

As an all-volunteer, non-auditioned community chorus, Queen Anne’s Chorale’s motto is “Entertaining, Engaging, Educating since 1989”. The ability to read music is helpful but not required. We always welcome new singers! 

Queen Anne’s Chorale is supported in part through grants from the United Way of Queen Anne’s County, the Queen Anne’s County Centre for the Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. We are also fortunate to have Corporate Sponsorships from Shore United Bank, Koons Toyota of Easton and Chesapeake Hearing Centers.

There are always opportunities to support QAC with donations or sponsorships. For more information visit www.qachorale.org.  

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Waterfowling from the Indigenous Perspective

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An immersive, multi-artist installation by Jen Wagner and Josepha Price 

Opening November 14 at The Market at Dover Station, in conjunction with the 2025 Waterfowl Festival

Artists Jen Wagner (left) and Josepha Price (right), co-creators of “Waterfowling from the Indigenous Perspective.” 

Artists Jen Wagner and Josepha Price announce the opening of their new, ongoing exhibit space at The Market at Dover Station in Easton, Maryland. Their collaborative installation, “Waterfowling from the Indigenous Perspective,” opens Friday, November 14, in conjunction with the 2025 Waterfowl Festival. 

Born from the artists’ shared passion for storytelling through art, the exhibition combines 3-D and multi-media works that invite audiences to look beyond familiar imagery of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It explores the deep cultural, environmental, and spiritual connections between Indigenous peoples and the natural world—especially through the lens of waterfowling.

The exhibit will include authentic artifacts, handmade Indigenous crafts, and new works by Price, Wagner, and guest artists Buzz Duncan and Margery Goldberg. 

A key feature of the exhibit is a speaker and video series amplifying Indigenous voices from the Chesapeake region. 

Featured speakers include: 

– Chief Donna Abbott, representing the Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians, who will discuss the tribe’s enduring traditions of stewardship, community, and balance with the environment. – Chief Clarence Tyler, representing the Accohannock Indian Tribe, who will share insights about the tribe’s ancestral ties to the waterways of the Delmarva Peninsula and the role of waterfowl in sustaining cultural identity. 

Public talks with Chief Abbott will take place Nov 14th at 5:00 pm and Chief Tyler will present on Saturday, November 15 at 2:00 PM, followed by open Q&A; sessions. 

“This project allows us to provide a level of depth and education that complements the Waterfowl Festival in a meaningful way,” says Josepha Price. “We’re looking at waterfowling not just as a sport or pastime, but as an enduring connection between people and the natural world—one grounded in respect, reciprocity, and survival.” 

Jen Wagner adds, “Josepha and I have worked together on many projects, and over the years we’ve talked about creating spaces where art tells more complete stories. I’ve outgrown the idea of simply showing work. I want to use art to build experiences—layered, collaborative, and rooted in the history and identity of this place.” 

The exhibition will also include a video series of interviews with local descendants of area tribes and large-scale peel-and-stick wallpaper panels by artist Richard Fritz, adapted from his landscape paintings to create an immersive backdrop. 

“The Market at Dover Station provides the perfect space for this kind of storytelling,” says Wagner. “It’s an opportunity to connect creative expression with education and community.” 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS 

Josepha Price is an Easton-based multimedia artist whose work has been featured in galleries and exhibits throughout Maryland. Of Cherokee descent, Price brings deep cultural insight and technical mastery to her projects. Her recent installation at The Ivy Café in Easton highlights her ability to merge traditional motifs with contemporary materials. 

Jen Wagner is a prolific mosaic and public artist based in Easton, Maryland, with installations and exhibitions shown internationally. She has curated galleries, pop-ups, and museum installations, and her work explores themes of connection, memory, and shared human experience. Wagner also hosts “My Life As” on WHCP Radio, where she interviews individuals about the stories that shape their lives. 

The Market at Dover Station, located at 500 Dover Road, Easton, is an upscale art and design market featuring found goods, original art, and local craftsmanship. 

“Waterfowling from the Indigenous Perspective” opens November 14 and will remain on view throughout the Waterfowl Festival weekend. 

For more information, visit www.jenwagnermosaics.com or follow @jenwagnermosaics and @josephapriceart on Instagram.

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Pairing Herbs, Food, and Wine with Chesapeake Bay Herb Society

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Spencer Garrett and Denis Gasper will discuss pairing herbs with food and wine at the society’s Nov. 20 meeting.  Both are past presidents of the society, and both love to cook.  They will share their accumulated knowledge (and maybe some samples) that night.

The society usually meets the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at Christ Church, 111 S. Harrison Street, Easton.  However, this month’s meeting has been moved up because the building will be used during the Waterfowl Festival.   Meetings include an herbal potluck dinner, a short business meeting, and a presentation on an herb-related topic.  The theme for the November meeting is herbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (paprika, bay leaf, parsley, dill, and cumin).

CBHS was formed in 2002 to share knowledge of herbs with the local community.  The group maintains the herb garden at Pickering Creek Audubon Center.  For more information, call 301-452-2813 or visit the society’s Facebook page.

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Legendary Environmental Journalist Tom Horton To Moderate Author Panel on the Art and Science of Conservation

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The Mid-Shore community is invited to join legendary Chesapeake Bay writer Tom Horton as he moderates a panel exploring the art and science of conservation at Easton’s historic Ebenezer Theater at 2pm on Sunday, November 2.

The event is presented in celebration of the tandem centennial birthdays of the Talbot County Free Library (TCPS) and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), in partnership with TCPS, UMCES’s Horn Point Laboratory,  Shore Lit and Bluepoint Hospitality/Flying Cloud Booksellers. Attendance is free, with reservations required via shorelit.org.

Tom Horton is the nation’s leading environmental journalist on the Chesapeake Bay. He covered environmental issues for the Baltimore Sun from 1974 until 2006, has written for national outlets including National Geographic, Rolling Stone, New York Times, and the Boston Globe, and is the author of several books about the Bay.

Horton will be in conversation with authors Christopher Kondrich and Kyoko Mori, contributors to the new anthology Creature Needs (University of Minnesota Press, 2025), in which writers respond to published animal conservation studies with poems, stories, and essays.

Christopher Kondrich is the author of Valuing, selected by Jericho Brown as a winner of the National Poetry Series, by Library Journal as a Best Poetry Book of 2019, and as a finalist for The Believer Book Award. He currently teaches in the M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing at the University of Maryland and Eastern Oregon University’s low-residency M.F.A. in Creative and Environmental Writing.

Kyoko Mori’s award-winning first novel, Shizuko’s Daughter, was hailed by The New York Times as “a jewel of a book, one of those rarities that shine out only a few times in a generation.” She has taught at Harvard University and Goucher College and is currently on the faculty of George Mason University and Lesley University’s Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing.

“When it comes to conservation, as these accomplished writers demonstrate, we need not only the scientific facts that illuminate the truth, but the words that move us to feel, and to act,”  says Shore Lit Founder Kerry Folan.

“Literature offers us a way to engage with our most urgent questions about the world, including questions about how to be good stewards for the Eastern Shore. There could be no more perfect time to consider the symbiotic relationship between science and art than this year’s 100th birthday celebration of the library and UMCES. ”

The panel will begin at 2pm, with doors opening at 1:30pm. The first fifty arrivals will receive a free copy of Creature Needs, with additional books for sale courtesy of Flying Cloud Booksellers. A community reception and book signing will follow.

Additionally, Kondrich and Mori will lead a free creative writing workshop for high school students preceding the author panel, beginning at noon. Registration is required via shorelit.org.

Christopher Kondrich and Kyoko Mori are available for interviews. Please contact Kerry Folan [email protected] with inquiries. Images and other press materials are available in our media kit.

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Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore (BBBSES) is shining a spotlight on the power of mentoring during Bullying Prevention Month and Beyond.

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Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore (BBBSES) is shining a spotlight on the power of mentoring during Bullying Prevention Month and Beyond.

Standing Strong Together: Mentoring Stops Bullying Before it Starts

Maryland Eastern Shore – October 2025 – Big Brothers

Bullying continues to be a pressing issue on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. According to the most recent Maryland Department of Health’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey completed by Maryland Eastern Shore high school students, 18.4% have been bullied in school, 15.9% were cyberbullied, 38.5% felt sad or hopeless. These alarming statistics highlight the urgent need for mentors to inspire confidence, competence, and caring for local youth.

“Mentorship changes lives,” said Jessica Mimms, Executive Director of BBBSES. “A caring adult mentor helps a child not only navigate the challenges of bullying but also build the confidence, competence, and caring they need to stand up for themselves and others. Mentoring prevents youth from being bullied, and it also prevents them from becoming bullies.”

Mentorship prevents bullying, promotes positive mental health, and builds confidence in local youth. According to the agency’s most recent report, 99% of youth matched with a mentor improved their self-confidence, ability to express feelings, and decision-making, while 93% reported an improved sense of their future.

“Our vision is for every child to feel safe, supported, and strong,” Mimms said. “Having a mentor gives youth the tools to face adversity, make positive choices, and create a future where bullying has no place.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore invites the community to join in this mission during Bullying Prevention Month and beyond. The agency will host a virtual anti bullying session for parents and mentors on Wednesday, November 5th at 6:30pm at youtube.com/user/BBBSES. The session will include topics of how to prevent bullying, types of bullying , how to advocate for self, how to stand up against bullying, and the difference between bullying and tattling.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore

For more than 40 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has helped ignite the potential of youth on Maryland’s Eastern Shore through programs, enrichment activities, and resources tailored to the growing needs of the community. Donations, volunteer mentors, and community partnerships ensure that every child has the guidance and resources they need to thrive. For more Information or to become a volunteer mentor, please call (410) 543-2447 or visit www.shorebiglittle.org. Keep updated on the latest agency highlights and news by following BBBSES on social media, Facebook @BBBSES, Instagram @shorebigs, and X @ESBigs

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Vital Structures By Artist Lynn Goldstein Opens With Reception at The Zebra Gallery

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Universal Joy, acrylic on cradle panel, is part of Vital Structures, an exhibition by artist Lynn Goldstein, opening Friday Nov. 7 at The Zebra Gallery.

The Zebra Gallery will host an opening reception for Vital Structures, a solo exhibition by Lynn Goldstein, from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, November 7. The show runs through December 5.

The Virginia-based artist is known for her abstract atmospheric landscapes. Goldstein is particularly inspired by the hills, trees, and reflective waters of her childhood home in southern West Virginia. In Vital Structures, she explores how nature sustains and connects people.

“Just as connective tissue supports and gives structure within the human body, I see nature in a similar light,” Goldstein said. “Trees offer the air we breathe and teach us resilience. “Mountains stand as symbols of strength and timelessness. Water can calm or energize. Nature holds us together.”

In her paintings, Goldstein uses unconventional tools, such as chisels, scrapers, and sandpaper, to introduce textures inspired by nature and the passage of time, drawing from her admiration for weathered frescos and crumbling walls.

“Lynn’s work evokes questions about nature’s design and the human’s place in it,” said gallery owner Susan Schauer John. “Each piece is its own meditation.”

Goldstein’s work has been displayed at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Additionally, her work is in the collection of the Schar Cancer Institute, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the U.S. Department of State, among other public and government organizations.

The opening reception is free and open to the public.

The Zebra Gallery is located at 5 N. Harrison Street, Easton, MD, across from the Historic Tidewater Inn. For more information, visit www.thezebragallery.com. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, or by appointment.

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