Now hanging at Easton’s liveliest art gallery, the Trippe Gallery, is the “Art of the Garden” exhibition. This popular annual show is celebrating its 9th year! In concert with “Art in Bloom” promoted by Discover Easton,  the exhibition will feature floral arrangements inspired by a particular painting by members of The Garden Club of The Eastern Shore for the opening reception Friday May 2 from 5-7pm.

The exhibition will showcase the work of a talented group of artists who have taken inspiration from the natural world to create stunning pieces that explore the intersection of art and horticulture. The paintings display an exploration of the harmonies of color, texture, and form, and showcases the incredible diversity of artistic styles and techniques used to capture the beauty of nature.

Featured art in the exhibition will be oil paintings by Nancy Tankersley, Beth Bathe, Jill Basham, Meg Nottingham Walsh, Lynn Mehta, Zufar Bikbov, David Diaz, Cynthia Rosen, Christine Lashley, Georganna Lenssen as well as fine art photography by Nanny Trippe, acrylic paintings by Hanna MacNaughtan and botanical watercolors by Lee Boulay D’Zmura.

The Trippe Gallery invites you to come enjoy this exciting diverse collection of art by many of your favorite artists in the exhibition “The Art of the Garden”. The exhibition will run through June with new works added throughout. The gallery will be open on First Fri

It’s hard to believe that The Market at Dover Station has been open for six months. A walk through its retail space and fine art gallery exudes a solid sense of belonging, as if the Market belongs in this space, and this space belongs in Easton’s East End.

Featured for the month of May are several of the Market’s initial partners. Known as Market Partners, these vendors work in cooperation with the management to create the eye catching, upscale regional shopping hub which the Market has become.

Savington & Hill Floral Co., Ltd. provides a welcoming array of fresh flowers, plants, giftware and chocolates just inside the Market’s entry. Owner Richard Savington says, “I grew up in the industry, the fifth generation of our family business. We trace our beginnings back to a wholesale florist who provided most of the calla lilies sold up and down the Eastern Seaboard from the Gilded Age until shortly before the Second World War, garnering the moniker ‘Calla Lily King’.” Upon graduation from college, Rick was given charge of the same store where he swept floors and cut flowers as a teen. Leaving to pursue a law degree, Rick closed the door on that part of his life, thinking it was forever. Then came COVID and life came to a screeching halt for everyone. Finding himself at a crossroads, Rick chose to reenter the industry he had loved since childhood. Rick’s son, Nicholas, has since moved home from Manhattan to join him, marking six generations in the floral industry.

Susan Schauer John’s bright and inspiring The Little Zebra Gallery sells original artworks by skilled artisans from around the world and right here at home. The more colorful, whimsical or inspirational, the better! Artworks from The Little Zebra are meant to bring joy and smiles. This gallery is an outcropping of The Zebra Gallery at 5 N. Harrison Street in Easton. Says John, who is a gifted and skilled fine artist herself, “It seems there is never enough room to show wonderful art!”

Sean Harmer’s Rivr House Furniture offers beautiful handmade and bespoke custom furniture, home goods, cutting boards, topographic maps and art. All crafted with exceptional skill and loving care right here on the Eastern Shore, from many species of wood.=

The fun, funky boutique-style booth Glass Tidings by Kelly Alteri, features handcrafted jewelry from repurposed and upcycled materials, handmade clothing and vintage-style aprons along with other fanciful items of decor. Alteri says her wares are “all the colorful things that make my life happy. I personally source end of bolt fabrics to make lovely French Market Skirts, which of course have pockets! Vintage tins are transformed into fun earrings and my ever-popular enameled penny earrings match any skirt you may find.” She is always looking for the next creative inspiration to repurpose with a purpose.

Enjoy browsing through Peddlers Cottage, curated by Margaret Henning and her daughter Laurie, with its charming assortment of home décor, accessories and vintage items. Eastern Shore nostalgia and a love of nature permeates this ever-changing collection.

Rachel Calloway’s Eastern Shore roots are evident in her original watercolor paintings and prints on display at her Hidden Bird Studio, featuring a lovely array of North American birds and wildlife. Time spent in nature was a big part of her childhood. Calloway received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Fine Art with a concentration in Painting, and went on to explore several avenues in the art and design world. But she found that painting birds and wildlife is a merging and expression of her true artistic spirit, where she has found great joy.

Antique Clock Repair by David Brandon features a fascinating variety of beautifully refurbished 100 plus year old clocks for sale. Check in on the hour to hear them chime! Expert repair services are available.

In the Market Gallery at Dover Station, the Working Artists Forum, a juried group of local and regional artists, will exhibit member works for sale during May and June. And the Market is excited to be participating in Downtown Easton’s May Day celebration, decorating with flowers for the weekend, and hosting a Tea Time with fine china, on First Friday from 2-4 p.m.

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Since it opened on November 30, 2024, The Market at Dover Station has established itself as an upscale regional hub showcasing the work of fine artists and artisans alongside a selection of antique and vintage goods, handmade balms and lotions, and more. Market partners also offer interior design, fine china rental, and many other unique finds. The Market hosts events including yoga classes, Zentangle, urban sketching on the Rails to Trails, a book club, photography, jewelry and art classes for kids and adults. And it offers space for weddings, meetings and family gatherings. Coming soon in phase 2 are plans for a bistro café and future brewery.

The Market at Dover Station is located at 500 Dover Road, Easton, Maryland 21601. For hours, events, and more information, please stay informed at www.doverstation.com and sign up to follow on social media.

This May, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) concludes its season with Romantic Triumph & Celebration, a program highlighting the expressive beauty and emotional depth of 19th-century Romantic music.

Performances will take place on Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 PM at the Todd Performing Arts Center in Wye Mills, MD; Saturday, May 10 at 3:00 PM at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes, DE; and Sunday, May 11 at 3:00 PM at the Performing Arts Center in Ocean City, MD.

The program includes Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel’s Overture in C major, a vivid and lyrical orchestral work; Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto, known for its warmth and poetic character; and Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4, the “Italian,” filled with vibrant rhythms and sunlit melodies inspired by his travels through Italy.

The featured soloist is Gabriel Martins, an award-winning cellist who has appeared with leading orchestras and in major concert halls worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall. He is a winner of the Concert Artists Guild/Young Classical Artists Trust Grand Prize and the Sphinx Competition Gold Medal.

In addition to the orchestral performances, the MSO will present its Season Finale Ensemble Series concerts, offering audiences a more intimate chamber music experience featuring members of the orchestra. These performances will take place on Saturday, May 17 at 7:00 PM at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach, DE, and Sunday, May 18 at 4:00 PM at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD.

The Ensemble Series program includes Phantasy for Oboe, Violin, Viola, & Cello by Benjamin Britten, String Quartet No. 3 “Mishima” by Philip Glass, Langsamer Satz by Anton Webern, and Quartet for English Horn, Violin, Viola, & Cello by Jean Françaix.

Tickets and more information are available at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.

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ABOUT THE MID-ATLANTIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is the only professional symphony orchestra serving southern Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a full season of programs. The MSO is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Talbot County Arts Council, the Worcester County Arts Council, the Sussex County (Delaware) Council, and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.

A complete schedule of the 2024-2025 season’s Masterworks and Ensembles programs, including venues, times, and other details, is available at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.

The Working Artists Forum is pleased to invite the public to a member’s exhibit from May 1 through June 30, 2025, at the Gallery at the Market at Dover Station.

The exhibit, titled “All Things Spring”, is in a dedicated gallery space within the Market. Opening reception is First Friday, May 2, from 5-7 p.m.

Enjoy light refreshments and a beautiful selection of studio and plein air works by 24 regional artists. 

Launched in 1979 by a small group of artists, Working Artists Forum – now with over 100 members – is a thriving arts organization with many vital connections within the Eastern Shore’s arts community.  Members exhibit widely, win awards, teach classes and workshops, and actively participate in arts events throughout our region.

The Market at Dover Station is a new and unique shopping, dining and social experience located in a renovated 1912 warehouse at 500 Dover Street in the heart of historic Easton, Maryland.

Tred Avon Players (TAP) and the Oxford Community Center (OCC) are excited to invite youth to participate in Shakespeare Midsummer Stage, an immersive four-day Shakespeare workshop for students entering grades 5–12. This exciting new program runs July 28–31, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day at the Oxford Community Center, culminating in a free showcase performance for family and friends on Thursday, July 31 at 6:30 p.m.

As part of their shared mission to educate and inspire, TAP and OCC are launching this unique summer experience to offer students a fun, engaging, and educational opportunity to explore the timeless works of William Shakespeare.

Participants will work with veteran actor, director, and school teacher David Cherry to develop their skills in acting, voice, movement, and scene study—building confidence, creativity, and stage presence in a supportive and collaborative environment.

“This is not just about learning Shakespeare,” said Cherry, who leads the program. “It’s about connecting with the language, the characters, and with each other. Students will gain tools that apply both onstage and off—and they’ll have a blast doing it.”

“We’re thrilled to bring this kind of meaningful arts education to young people in our community,” said Liza Ledford, Executive Director of Oxford Community Center, and Melissa Barcomb-Doyle, President of Tred Avon Players, in a joint statement. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to providing opportunities that spark creativity, nurture talent, and build community through the arts.”

The workshop fee is $200 per student and includes a Shakespeare Midsummer Stage t-shirt. Space is limited. Registration closes May 31, 2025 or until full. To learn more and register, visit https://www.tredavonplayers.org/youth-workshop-2

About Tred Avon Players

Founded in 1982, Tred Avon Players is a nonprofit community theater dedicated to enriching, educating, and entertaining audiences with high-quality productions. For more than four decades, TAP has thrived thanks to the dedication of local performers, stagehands, audience members, and donors. To learn how you can get involved or purchase tickets for upcoming shows, visit www.tredavonplayers.org and follow TAP on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Reflection and Celebration is the theme of this year’s Chamber Music Festival – six concerts performed by world-class musicians at the Ebenezer Theater in historic Easton, Maryland. Back for this celebration and as a reflection of the Festival’s past four decades are musicians long-associated with the Festival – Catherine Cho, current Artistic Director, Robert McDonald, Peggy Pearson, Daniel and Todd Phillips, Tara Helen O’Connor, Carmit Zori, and especially two of its founding members, J. Lawrie Bloom and Artistic Director, Marcy Rosen. These players will perform some of their and the audience’s favorite repertoire, combining forces in partnerships well-established over the years. As always, the Festival will also showcase a distinguished guest string quartet as well as superb younger musicians who are well on their way to becoming outstanding performers on the world’s stages. And, as always, there will be entertaining surprises along the way.

Week Two of the Festival will feature the iconic Juilliard String Quartet – Areta Zhulla, Ronald Copes, Molly Carr, and Astrid Schween. They will perform Bedřich Smetana’s highly autobiographical and moving String Quartet No. 1 in E Minor “From My Life” (June 12). They will also perform Beethoven’s monumental String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, complete with its original last movement, the Grosse Fuge.  Preceding the Beethoven, they play Jörg Widmann’s String Quartet No. 8 “Study on Beethoven III,” where the second movement is a set of variations based on the fourth movement of the Beethoven string quartet (both on June 13).

Newcomers to the Festival are 28-year-old violist Zhanbo Zheng and 28-year-old pianists Albert Cano Smit and Wynona Wang. All three are major first-prize winners in their fields and acclaimed soloists with major orchestras worldwide. All three will join forces with the Festival’s veteran musicians in varied repertoire, including works by Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Dvořák, and Fauré. Of special note, Smit will partner with Chesapeake Music favorite, cellist Sterling Elliott, playing American composer Amy Beach’s sublime Dreaming for Violoncello & Piano (June 6), and Wang will join flutist Tara Helen O’Connor for Mel Bonis’ beautiful and spirited Sonata in C-sharp Minor for Flute and Piano (June 14). Smit will also perform solo, playing two charming works by Cécile Chaminade: Étude de concert, “Automne” and Pièce humoristique, “Autrefois” (June 7).

The Festival will offer a generous mix of standard repertoire favorites and lesser-known gems. Favorites include Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A Major (June 8) and his Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat Major, (June 13); Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 5 in A Major (June 7); Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major (June 6); Dvořák’s Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat Major (June 7); Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor (June 8), and his String Quintet No. 1 in A Major (June 12). Among the exciting lesser-known works are Luigi Boccherini’s Quintet in D Minor in an arrangement by oboist Peggy Pearson (June 6); Robert Schumann’s Märchenerzählungen (“Fairy Tales”): Four Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano (June 6); Louise Farrenc’s Trio in E Minor for Flute, Cello and Piano (June 12); Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (“Transfigured Night”) (June 14), and Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Quartet No. 2 in G Minor (June 14).

For more information on Chesapeake Music’s 40^th Chamber Music Festival and to purchase tickets, visit ChesapeakeMusic.org.

 

Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival Schedule

June 6–14, 2025

June 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Opening Extravaganza!

June 7 – 7:30 p.m.
Hope and Drama

June 8 – 5:00 p.m.
Masters at Work

June 12 – 7:30 p.m.
From My Life

June 13 – 7:30 p.m.
Quartets Old and New

June 14 – 7:30 p.m.
Festival Finale

2 Free and Open Rehearsals: June 4 and June 11 at 10:00 a.m.

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Based in Easton, Maryland, and celebrating its 40th Anniversary Year, Chesapeake Music is a nonprofit organization that brings renowned musicians to delight, engage, and surprise today’s audiences, and educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s. Learn more at ChesapeakeMusic.org.

The Oxford Community Center is proud to present world-renowned jazz vocalist Allan Harris on Friday, May 2, for a one-night-only performance honoring the legendary Nat King Cole. Part of the acclaimed Jazz Series On Stage at OCC, the concert invites audiences to experience the rich, velvety tones of Cole’s songbook through the singular voice of one of today’s most celebrated interpreters.

Described by The New York Times as a “velvet-voiced baritone with an earthy edge,” Allan Harris has captivated audiences around the globe with his masterful storytelling, elegant phrasing, and genre-defying performances. His tribute to Nat King Cole is more than a concert—it’s a deeply personal homage to an artist who helped define American music and break racial barriers along the way.

“He was for everybody,” said Harris. “He sang for the world, and he delivered the exact songs that the composers wrote. When you heard a Nat King Cole song, you heard every word, every syllable, and it made sense. It was just wonderful.”

Backed by a stellar jazz trio, Harris will perform some of Cole’s most beloved songs, from the buoyant charm of “Rambling Rose” to the silken romance of “Unforgettable,” delivered with the diction, warmth, and storytelling that make Harris a standout on any stage.

“We’re honored to bring Allan Harris to our stage,” said Liza Ledford, Executive Director of the Oxford Community Center. “His connection to this music is palpable, and it will be a night of beauty, nostalgia, and extraordinary talent in an intimate setting.”

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Event Details:
Allan Harris: The Music of Nat King Cole
Friday, May 2, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Oxford Community Center | 200 Oxford Rd, Oxford, MD
Tickets and more information: oxfordcc.org

This event is expected to sell out. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended.

On Saturday, May 10, The Mainstay welcomes nationally celebrated singer/songwriter Vance Gilbert. Vance Gilbert is one of the principal players on the national folk scene, and one of the originators of the R&B/Folk/Jazz crossover genre.

Starting out, he hoped to be an R&B and jazz singer but soon discovered his affinity for the storytelling sensibilities of the acoustic singer-songwriter genre. Word spread quickly about Gilbert’s stage-owning singing and playing, and national recording artist Shawn Colvin invited him to be the opening act on her 1992 Fat City tour. In his 30-year career he has also shared the stage with artists as varied as Arlo Guthrie, Anita Baker, The Milk Carton Kids, and Southside Johnny. The mid 2000’s found Gilbert opening 150+ shows for comedian George Carlin.

Gilbert is known for his humorous, comfortable, improvisational stage manner. His repertoire has a wide range, covering Joni Mitchell one moment and doing what sounds like a jazz classic (but is actually his own) the next. Many songs tell profound stories and touch on important topics.

30 years into his career, the songwriter’s influence can be felt all over the contemporary national Folk and Americana scene as he has helped pave the way for many of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color musicians artists who have followed.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram described him as having “the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god.”  Richmond Magazine commented that “If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might be something close to the great Vance Gilbert”.

Gilbert has also been a prominent presence at some of the world’s most prestigious gatherings and halls, among them the Newport, Winnipeg, Rocky Mountain, Calgary, Ottawa, and Falcon Ridge Folk festivals, the Kate Wolf Music Festival, Mountain Stage, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Nashville’s Lyman Auditorium, and The Barns at Wolftrap.

Showtime for the Mainstay concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall,

The Zebra Gallery will open two shows in May, with an opening on Friday, May 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. with artist talks. The two artists in the Main Gallery, Frank DePietro and Richard Fritz, MD, feature color palettes and subject matter represent springtime and growth.

Frank DePietro lives in Landenberg, PA, teaching classes at Longwood Gardens and The Delaware Art Museum. He describes his work as contemporary realist paintings. His work is derived from experiences making traditional landscape and plein air paintings. Conceptually similar, his art attempts to capture time through the changes of light and color displayed in the natural world.

“I prefer to work in the controlled environment of a studio, where I can spend long periods of unlimited time with my subject matter, contemplating the relationship of nature to the formal elements of painting. I begin my process with a photographic search for visually impactful compositions that reveal and document a specific time and place.  The images I collect are transformed and simplified with considerations of shape, line, form, texture, space, tone, and color,” DePietro states.

Richard Fritz, MD, a retired physician living in Easton, describes himself as an oil painter in the colorist tradition, focusing primarily on landscapes. The academics of painting requires discipline in mastery of medium, draftsmanship, and composition. But the real joy of painting lies in the creative journey it provides.

‘My artistic vision has spiritual roots relating to the belief that consciousness follows light, and light manifests in color. Painting landscapes opens a dialogue with creation, exploring the interplay of light and dark, form and color, object and awareness. The act of painting is, in itself, meditative and joyful. My artistic aspiration is to animate natural scenes with a sense of innate mindfulness and quiet compassion, and to communicate that feeling to the viewer,” he shares.

Additional artists, Shelton Hawkins and April Claggett will have work on display in June with an opening on Friday, June 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. Shelton Hawkins, of Easton, MD, will have his second annual basketball-themed event at the gallery. This show called “For Love of the Game” will feature his basketball courts painted all over the world. April Claggett, an Easton MD native, will display a group of paintings she calls “Entanglements.” This work from Africa does not depict suffering but premises a symbolic realm where the longing for wholeness, even perhaps with things antithetical or past, can be real and present. Simple fictions of accompaniment in daywork and daydreams—playful, mysterious, absurd, violent—inhabit indeterminate spaces.

Susan Schauer John comments, “The upcoming artists featured in the gallery bring an amazing range of interpretations in their work and I think the community will really enjoy these inspiring works of art.”

The Zebra Gallery address is 5 N. Harrison Street, Easton, MD (across the street from the Historic Tidewater Inn). For further information, visit https://www.thezebragallery.com.