The quirky Canadian musical Ride the Cyclone has never made it to Broadway but has become a genuine Gen Z cult phenomenon and gone viral on TikTok.  With a dystopian plot involving a faulty roller coaster, the show’s creators Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell introduce us to the St. Cassian High School chamber choir from Uranium City, Saskatchewan. What could possibly go wrong? What young actor does not yearn to portray one of the doomed teens?

Kat Melton will direct CHT’s November production with Michael Casey serving as musical director.  Auditions will be held in the theater (103 Walnut Street) on Sunday, August 4, from 1-3 pm and on Monday and Tuesday (August 5 & 6) 6:30-8: pm in the CHT office directly across from the theatre. Actors should prepare a very short monologue (under 2 minutes) and a one-minute song (please bring music for the pianist). Ideally, these prepared items should not be from Cyclone, but from another contemporary musical show. The auditions will also include cold readings from the script and possibly some movement exercises.

There are roles for three women and three men who can present as teenagers. An additional character, a mechanical device called the Amazing Karkak, can be an actor of any age or gender. The soaring, glorious and memorable music will appeal to audiences of all ages.

The teen roles are:

Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg, the class over-achiever

Constance Blackwood, Ocean’s self-loathing sidekick

Jane Doe, because without a head she’s nameless (an operatic soprano)

Noel Gruber, a French film fan and the only gay teen in Uranium

Mischa Bachinski, a Ukrainian adoptee, something of a he-man

Ricky Potts, a mute kid with a way-too-active imagination

Other roles include:

The Amazing Karnak, a mechanical fortune-telling machine

Virgil, a mischievous rat (who also plays the bass guitar in the band)

Ride the Cyclone will open at Church Hill Theatre on November 8 and run through November 24, with performances on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  Please contact the office at 410-556-6003 if you have any questions about the production.

The Chestertown Jazz Festival committee announced today that the 28th Chestertown Jazz Festival will be held September 6-7, 2024.

Said Festival Chairman Mel Rapelyea,“Jazz is a family and this year the family welcomes jazz infused with rock, R&R, gospel and fusion.”

Renowned jazz/R&B singer Ronnie Leigh will kick off the festival at The Mainstay in Rock Hall on Friday, September 6. A long-time headliner, Ronnie has appeared with performers including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Smoky Robinson. The founder of one jazz festival describes Mr. Leigh as “one of the finest song stylists working in jazz today”. Ronnie – who says that performing is “in my life blood” in my life blood” – returns to the Eastern Shore after a successful performance last year at The Mainstay.

Tickets to see Ronnie Leigh can be purchased at www.mainstayrockhall.org or by calling The Mainstay at 410.639.9133.

Following the practice of the Newport Jazz Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Saturday’s “Jazz at the River” will begin at noon in Wilmer Park by welcoming back traditional gospel artist Sylvia Hackett Frazier and the Anointed Vessels. Sylvia grew up in Chestertown surrounded by music including, she remembers, when James Brown came to town.With the Anointed Vessels, Sylvia presents traditional gospel music, whose spiritual roots have long provided inspiration and comfort to troubled minds in troubled times. Sylvia has produces gospel music festivals and sings at countless church services and social gatherings.

Next up will be Prairie-Rodger’s Grateful Jazz, highlighting rhythmic and improvisational traditions of the Grateful Dead alongside the sounds of traditional jazz. Drummer Prairie Prince rocks with jazz, schooled in the music of Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich; touring this summer with Todd Rundgren and performing in the past with elite rock performers like Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead. Bobby Lee Rodgers is a cross-over guitarist, from teaching jazz at the prestigious Berklee College of music to playing with Warren Haynes of The Allman Brothers Band.Singer and musician Ella Rodgers, Mr. Rodgers’ teenage daughter, adds to the trio her enthusiasm for the music of old-time jazz.

The sounds of sax follow when Brent Birckhead takes the stage. Appearing with his band, Brent brings to life the history, theory and creativity he teaches as adjunct professor of saxophone at Morgan State University. In 2024, Brent released his latest album, “Cacao”, featuring smooth and sweet composition and infectious rhythms.. Lauded as a student performer by Downbeat Magazine and named “Best Alto Saxophonist” by the Washington City Paper, Mr. Birckhead has performed with artists that include multi-Grammy Award winner Lauryn Hill.The New York Times labeled Brent, as Baltimore native and graduate of Howard University, as “one of the most riveting young improvisers in New York.”

Closing the Festival will be headliner, The David Stryker Quartet featuring Warren Wolf. The Village Voice described David as “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years”. His discography includes 35 albums as a leader; his most recent “Groove” has logged more than 20 weeks on the JazzWeek Radio Chart. Winner of many Downbeat awards, it’s no wonder that jazz guitar-god Pat Metheny has lauded Mr. Stryer for producing “one of the most joyous feels around.” Vibraphonist Warren Wolf has recorded seven albums as a band leader, teaches at the Peabody School of Music and has performed around the world, including with Christian McBride.

Tickets to Saturday’s festival, which runs from 12-6 pm, can be obtained at www.garfieldcenter.org or by calling or 410.810.2060. As always, the festival will offer a wide variety of food and drink from local vendors.

Lead photo is of Ronnie Leigh.

Plein Air Easton (PAE), the renowned art competition and festival, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking collaboration with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC). This unique invitational aims to highlight the powerful role of art in promoting land preservation. 

From June 24 – July 16, invited PAE Alumni artists were tasked with painting specific preserved properties managed by the ESLC. Each artist will submit one painting to be exhibited at the ESLC Headquarters from July 18 to Saturday, July 20  (concurrent with PAE 2024). 

Join us on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, from 6pm-8pm at the Land Conservancy Headquarters (114 S. Washington Street) for an opening reception unveiling the submitted artworks. The 2024 esteemed judge Nancy Tankersley will award prizes. The exhibit will be open through Saturday. 

Exhibit Hours: Thursday, July 18 – Saturday, July 20 10am-3pm.

This initiative was made possible through a generous grant provided by Bruce Wiltsie and Bill Davenport who have worked with the Avalon for many years to support the many ways that art can underscore the vital importance of conservation of our land and the beauty that surrounds us. 

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About Plein Air Easton: Plein Air Easton, hosted by the Avalon Foundation, celebrates its 20th anniversary this July. We invite all major award winners and featured alumni painters to join us in this meaningful endeavor. 

About the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy: The ESLC’s mission is to conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape of the Eastern Shore. We’re proud to partner with them in this exciting project. 

Press Contact: For inquiries, contact Marie Nuthall ([email protected]) or Victoria Laureska ([email protected]). 

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About Plein Air Easton: Plein Air Easton is an annual art competition and festival celebrating plein air painting. For two decades, it has brought together artists, collectors, and nature enthusiasts to create and appreciate art inspired by the natural world. 

About the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy: The ESLC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the rural character and natural resources of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Through land conservation, stewardship, and advocacy, the ESLC ensures a sustainable future for our region. 

 

Plein Air Easton, the renowned celebration of outdoor painting, is excited to announce the selection of the inaugural Hall of Fame Awards. Established in honor of Plein Air Easton’s 20th anniversary, the Hall of Fame aims to recognize individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations that have made exceptional contributions to the continued success and growth of Plein Air Easton.

“We were overwhelmed by the response to our request for nominations.  It was a real challenge for our committee there were many qualified candidates”, said Marie Nuthall, Event Coordinator for Plein Air Easton. 

We are pleased to announce the inaugural class:

The Academy Art Museum 

Doris & Bill Nielsen 

Camille Prezewodek 

Cindy Reed 

Carol & Alan Sleeper 

Nancy & Carl Tankersley

Ellen Vatne 

Bruce Wiltse

This class represents artists, volunteers, businesses, and founders of Plein Air Easton.  They were chosen based on lasting impact, leadership qualities, continual support, prestige brought to the event, outreach efforts, and visionary perspectives that foster growth and improvement. They also demonstrate a high level of integrity, ethics, and professionalism.

“The Inaugural Hall of Fame Awards is our way of expressing gratitude to those whose unwavering support has shaped Plein Air Easton into what it is today,” said Nuthall, “We look forward to recognizing their contributions during Plein Air Easton July 12-21, 2024”.  To learn more about this year’s class, and dates of recognition events please visit www.pleinaireaston.com and Plein Air Easton’s page on Facebook.

Nuthall said, “On behalf of everyone involved with Plein Air Easton, I want to thank the community for the many impressive nominations, and the committee for their hard work in selecting this impressive inaugural class.  And to the winners, congratulations!  Thank you for your participation, commitment, and support of Plein Air Easton.  We are excited to celebrate with you! “

Questions regarding Plein Air Easton can be directed to Marie at [email protected].

About Plein Air Easton:

Plein Air Easton is the work of the Avalon Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster a strong community on the Eastern Shore by creating accessible, uplifting arts, education, and cultural experiences that appeal to the interests of a diverse population and to ensure the long-term viability of the historic Avalon Theatre.

The Academy Art Museum and the Waterfowl Headquarters, both in downtown Easton, respectively, will be the venues for the competition exhibit. This event is supported by Talbot Arts Council, donations from corporations, small businesses, media outlets, Friends of Plein Air Easton, and strong community support. Donations support the event while promoting conservation and tourism through the arts and a distinct sense of place. Strong community support and sponsorships have helped make Plein Air Easton one of Easton’s most popular annual events and the nation’s largest outdoor painting competition.

The Academy Art Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition, Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist.  An opening reception will be held on Thursday, August 1, from 5 – 7 pm. A short documentary produced in conjunction with the exhibition will be shown on a large screen throughout the opening.

“We are thrilled to bring this comprehensive exploration of Lazzell’s career to the Academy, and to showcase a woman from West Virginia who upends stereotypical views about who was making avant-garde art in the United States in the early part of the twentieth century,” notes AAM Senior Curator Lee Glazer.

Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist explores the pioneering artist’s lifelong pursuit of translating Modernism into an American art form and celebrates her largely unsung achievements in championing abstraction in the United States through painting and printmaking. This exhibition surveys the full career of American modernist Blanche Lazzell (1878–1956). Celebrated for her masterful white-line woodblock prints, Lazzell considered herself a painter first and foremost—from her early days studying in West Virginia, New York, and Paris through Depression-era Federal Art Projects and as a longtime resident of Provincetown’s vibrant art colony.

Born and raised in the small community of Maidsville, West Virginia, Lazzell graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in fine arts in 1905. Seeking further instruction, she first enrolled in the Art Students League in New York City and then went on two extensive trips to Europe. There she immersed herself in the studios of avant-garde artists who explored abstraction through the new movements of Fauvism and Cubism. Lazzell embraced these influences in her own work, creating some of the first non-objective prints and paintings seen in this country. She eventually settled in the artist colony of Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she worked with Hans Hofmann, co-founded the Provincetown Printers, and became a leading figure in white-line color woodblock printmaking.

Including more than 60 works drawn primarily from the Art Museum of West Virginia’s permanent collection, the exhibition explores the artist’s lifelong dedication to her craft and celebrates her achievements as a champion of modernist abstraction in the United States. All of the interpretive materials in the galleries will be available in English and Spanish. The exhibition also includes a short documentary video, produced by the Academy, with bilingual English and Spanish captions.

“Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist marks a milestone as we unveil our first bilingual exhibition, opening new doors of access and inclusion to our entire community. We hope that Lazzell’s story will resonate widely, breaking down barriers and inspiring a deeper appreciation for modernist abstraction in all its forms,” adds Interim Director Jennifer Chrzanowski.

Throughout the run of the exhibition, a mobile art cart will be activated every Thursday for drop-in artmaking with a Teaching Artist, who will show visitors how to create collages inspired by Lazzell’s artwork. This program will be offered in Spanish on August 22, September 19, and October 17. Visitors with disabilities may request a session adapted to their accessibility needs.
cdxThe museum also offers a two-day workshop on floral design and printmaking, which is organized with the exhibition. On Day One, participants will learn about Lazzell’s interest in flowers and their place in her work. Lydia Woolever, owner of Easton’s own Little Fields Floral, will demonstrate the artistic process of floral design and help students make their arrangements. On Day Two, Museum Teaching Artist Sheryl Southwick will discuss Lazzell’s white-line printmaking process and show participants how to make their own print. The dates for this workshop will be announced soon. Please visit academyartmuseum.org for more information.

Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist is organized by the Art Museum of West Virginia University and generously supported by Art Bridges.

 

 

 

 

 

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About the Academy Art Museum

As the premier art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Pat Steir and Richard Diebenkorn. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by American and European artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide and Zanele Muholi. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events, as well as a free block-party style Juneteenth Celebration and a Fall Craft Show celebrating 27 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours:  Tuesday & Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: Free

Currently on view at the Academy Art Museum: Darlene R. Taylor: HEIRLOOMS, Albrecht Dürer: Master Prints, Light: Paintings by Philip Koch, Nancy Tankersley: Reflections and Marty Two Bulls, Jr: Dominion. 

Allegro Academy invites everyone to its annual Summer Sing Choir Festival performance, Gospel Mass. This year’s performance will take place July 27 at Temple B’Nai Israel, 7199 Tristan Drive, Easton. The free performance will begin at 7 p.m., with light refreshments to follow. 

Gospel Mass, to be performed by the summer sing community choir, piano, bass, and drums, is an electrifying setting of the traditional choral text reimagined by composer Robert Ray. In collaboration with Leroy “Spanky” Potter and Ellen Barry Grunden, Conductor Amy Morgan will lead the 80-person choir in the choral work and additional gospel and spiritual arrangements by Stacey V. Gibbs, Rosephanye Powell, and Moses Hogan. The program will also feature the Allegra! Women’s Chorus and soloists Ta’Vea Roberts and John Wesley Wright. 

Summer Sing is an intergenerational community choral festival that invites area singers to perform a major work with professional soloists and instrumentalists. Previous seasons have attracted standing-room-only audiences and singers from Annapolis to Delaware and points in between. Now in its 6th year, the 2024 festival will bring the largest number of participants. 

Thanks to generous gifts from members of our community, Talbot Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council, the Summer Sing Choral Festival is offered to participants and audiences without charge. For more information about the performance or supporting this program, don’t hesitate to contact Artistic Director Amy Morgan at 410-603-8361 or visit www.allegroacademyeaston.com.

 

ONGOING WEEKLY CLASSES  

Mon, 1-2:30pm; Yoga with Suzie Hurley, Advanced beginners, $20/class, 10 classes $150

Sat, 9:30-11am; Yoga w Suzie Hurley, Intermediate, $20/class, 10 classes/ $150

Tues-Thurs, 10am; Steady & Strong w/ Janet Pfeffer, $10/class 10/$80

JULY 2024

July 6, 2024, 8:30am – Cars & Coffee

Free, Sponsored by Prestige Auto Vault, Eat Sprout & Doc’s Sunset Grille. Come enjoy the incredible array of automobiles!

July 14, 2024, 5:30-6:30pm – Paint Oxford Day

Join the Plein Air Easton artists and spend the day getting to know Oxford, a tiny town with a huge personality and water on three sides. This is an exhibit and sale of works produced during this special competition.

July 20, 2024, 5:30pm – Oxford Museum Movie Night at the OCC

Come enjoy a 1960s evening featuring the movie Goldfinger along with your very own TV Dinner! Cocktails will be served at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., and the movie at 7 p.m. Dinner is $20, and there will be a cash bar. More info is available at https://www.oxfordmuseummd.org. If you haven’t yet seen the 1960s exhibit at the Museum, stop by before it closes at the end of July!

July 27, 2024, 2-9pm – Music Festival Fundraiser for WHCP 

It is an all-day music event full of fun and fundraising! Area music favorites include Heartside with Sam Pugh, Steven & The Lowe Downs, Daphne Eckman and Black Dog Alley. Join us at the Oxford Community Center for one fantastic Music Festival! Proceeds benefit WHCP’s Live Music Series. Go to https://whcp.org/events for tickets.

 

AUGUST 2024

August 3, 2024, 8:30am – Cars & Coffee

Free, Sponsored by Prestige Auto Vault, Eat Sprout & Doc’s Sunset Grille. Come enjoy the incredible array of automobiles!

August 3, 2024 – Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Chamber Concert

This summer, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) Music for Maryland Tour makes its 2024 return, delivering eight, pay-what-you-wish performances across the state of Maryland, and they’re performing at the Oxford Community Center on August 3rd! RSVP online at Music For Maryland | Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

August 31, 2024, 7-10pm – The Fabulous Hubcaps!

They’re BACK! Join us Saturday, August 31st at 7PM for an evening with the Fabulous Hubcaps!  Tickets are on sale now! $35, cash bar. Tickets available online at https://oxfordcc.org/product/the-fabulous-hubcaps/. 

 

Join members of the St. Michaels Art League (SMAL) for their biggest event, the annual “Under the Tent” Labor Day Weekend Show and Sale on Saturday, August 31st and Sunday, September 1st at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, located at 304 South Talbot Street in St. Michaels.  The exhibit is free and open to the public. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 12:30 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

More than 30 SMAL artists in multiple mediums are featured. Hundreds of works depicting local scenes and subjects are for sale. Artist demos will also be held during the event. This is the perfect opportunity to purchase original artwork by many award-winning SMAL artists. Meet the artists and learn more about the St. Michaels Art League and its activities. 

Many of the framed designs for the “Celebrate St. Michaels” banners that hang on Talbot Street will also be for sale, as well as original street banners from previous years.  

For more information, visit smartleague.org. The St. Michaels Art League is partly funded by a grant from the Talbot County Arts Council with revenue provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.   

The Talbot Historical Society, in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library, is pleased to present Easton-based music group Ampersand for its July 17, 2024 “Date with History” lecture series. Ampersand delights in sharing early American traditional music with a modern audience, drawing connections between colonial sensibilities and current-day topics and interests.

Called the “Swiss army knife of folk music,” this group brings a variety of stringed instruments, including guitar, mandolin, banjo, cello, and hammered dulcimer, as well as penny whistles and percussion to underscore their rich vocal harmonies on parlor music from the 1700s and 1800s.

One of the band’s founders, Beth Lawton, notes that many songs reflect a modern sensibility even when they use old-fashioned language.  For example, “Bonnie Portmore” is an 18th-century love song to a piece of property similar to a modern-day money pit.   “Rye Whiskey” is a perfect lullaby for easing young ones to sleep – even as the song tells of diving into a river of whiskey and drinking “ten thousand bottles.”  With voice, various percussion instruments, newly-adopted cello, and penny whistles, multi-instrumentalist Topher Lawton focuses on even earlier tunes and songs, such as the lively “Bear Dance” (15th century) and the title song of the new CD, “Love Will Find Out the Way.”

This is presented by the Talbot Historical Society in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library and will take place at the library, 100 W. Dover St., Easton, MD 21601. The lecture is free to the public, but reservations are required. Please contact the Talbot Historical Society at 410-822-0773 or email [email protected]. The program will begin at 1 p.m. on July 17^th.

If you have any questions or wish to sign-up, please contact the Talbot Historical Society at 410-822-0773 or email [email protected] Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 10 am – 3 pm.

Events August 15 at the Academy Art Museum and Hunters Tavern

UPDATED: July 2nd | These events are now SOLD OUT.

The Chesapeake Film Festival (“CFF”) invites the public to a pre-festival series of events celebrating Andrew Wyeth and his iconic paintings. The tribute begins August 15 at Easton’s Academy Art Museum at 4 p.m. with a presentation by Victoria Wyeth. Ms. Wyeth is the great-granddaughter of illustrator N.C. Wyeth, granddaughter of Andrew Wyeth, and the niece of contemporary realist Jamie Wyeth. Her years of conversations with the artists about their work give her talks a unique perspective.

The screening of the stunning film WYETH, directed by Glenn Holsten, begins at 6 p.m.at the Academy Art Museum.  Both programs on the 15th are offered free to the public, but reservations are required.  These events are now SOLD OUT.

Ms. Wyeth earned a B.A. in American Cultural Studies in 2001 from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. She then spent a year as a Visiting Graduate Student at Harvard University and further pursued her academic studies by attending Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT., earning a Master of Arts degree in the History of Clinical Psychiatry. She has curated numerous exhibitions that feature the works of her acclaimed relatives.

The Wyeth tributes in August serve as preview events for the 2024 Chesapeake Film Festival September 27-29 at the iconic Ebenezer Theater in Easton. The Festival includes another Wyeth tribute, this one focused on Andrew’s son, Jamie.  The documentary, Jamie Wyeth and the Unflinching Eye, is also directed by Glenn Holsten. As the heir to a three-generation dynasty in American art, Jamie Wyeth struggles to find his own voice during the colorful turmoil of the pop culture and politics from the 1960s to the present.

A Q&A with the director follows the screening.  In addition, Holsten will also participate in a special free public event, The Art of Storytelling on Sunday, September 29 at the Talbot County Free Library in downtown Easton.

Tickets and information for the screening of Jamie Wyeth and the Unflinching Eye on September 28, and all the films in the three-day festival, can be reserved at chesapeakefilmfestival.com.

The 17th annual Chesapeake Film Festival continues in Easton at the historic Ebenezer Theater September 27-29 with a celebration of the very best in independent filmmaking. For early-bird passes – available until July 15 — and more information, go to chesapeakefilmfestival.com.

FESTIVAL KEY DATES

• August 15, 4PM – Meet Victoria Browning Wyeth at the Academy Art Museum followed by a Free Preview Screening Event at 6 to 7:30PM  WYETH documentary –Academy Art Museum, Easton, MD – These events are SOLD OUT

• September 12 –Environmental films from 4 to 6PM & 7 to 9PM  at the Garfield Center in Chestertown — Tickets may be purchased at the Garfield Center or online at https://www.garfieldcenter.org/gcaevent/chesapeake-film-festival-presents-fragile-rivers-fertile-lands/
• September 27, Opening Day Film – Call Me Dancer at 12 Noon with films to 5PM — 5:30PM – VIP Reception, Ebenezer Theater, Easton, catered by Bluepoint Hospitality – 7:30pm Environmental Films – Tickets and information visit chesapeakefilmfestival.com
• September 28 & 29 – Full days/nights of 35 carefully curated independent films beginning at 12 Noon at the Ebenezer Theater – Tickets and information for all films visit chesapeakefilmfestival.com
• September 29, The Art of Storytelling Panel & Workshop —  Talbot County Free Library at 10:30AM – Free Event

Don’t miss out on film festival news!  Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on  Instagram and Facebook.

Join us as we prepare to celebrate the magic of storytelling and the power of independent cinema in Easton and Chestertown.

The Chesapeake Film Festival is generously supported by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Prager on behalf of Bluepoint Hospitality, The Nature Conservancy, Shared Earth Foundation, Maryland Humanities, Maryland State Arts Council, Mid-Shore Community Foundation & Artistic Insight’s Fund, ShoreRivers, Talbot Arts, the Maryland Film Office, Choptank Electric Trust, Shore United Bank, Talbot County Department of Tourism, Richard and Beverly Tilghman, U.S. Small Business Administration and Easton Utilities.

The MD Humanities Grant has been financed in part with State Funds from the Maryland Historical Trust, an agency of the Maryland Department of Planning which is part of the State of Maryland.

About the Chesapeake Film Festival: Founded in 2008, it is the mission of the Chesapeake Film Festival to entertain, empower, educate and inspire diverse audiences of all ages by presenting exceptional independent films and events. We offer outstanding filmmakers, experienced and emerging, as well as a forum to showcase and discuss stories of compelling interest to our local and global community. Because of our location on the Chesapeake Bay and our diverse population, we prioritize films that focus on environmental justice, student initiatives, underrepresented voices, and social justice issues. The festival also strives to be an economic engine for the Eastern Shore by inviting visitors to experience exceptional films, world-famous seafood, art, and the beauty of our waterways.