In celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum will debut its latest special exhibition, Emblems of America, on Sunday, June 14, to coincide with the St. Michaels Flag Day Celebration.
Centered in the Van Lennep Auditorium, Emblems of America highlights the use of patriotic imagery on trailboards, figureheads, and other marine carvings in CBMM’s collection, many of which are on long-term display on the auditorium’s walls.
Emblems of America explores the rich folk art tradition of Chesapeake marine carvings through icons of Americana such as eagles, the Stars and Stripes, and the colors red, white, and blue, offering a new perspective on familiar objects. An interactive “find-it” activity builds on this theme by encouraging guests to locate patriotic iconography within the exhibition and across CBMM’s waterfront campus.
Guests are invited to experience this new storytelling during the free community celebration hosted by CBMM on Flag Day and throughout this festive summer in historic St. Michaels. Learn more and plan a visit at cbmm.org.
“Looking around our campus, it’s easy to spot these emblems,” said Assistant Curator Gabriella Cantelmo, who curated the exhibition. “As we celebrate America 250, this exhibition takes a closer look at why they were created and what they mean to the people who encounter them on the Bay. These objects and their stories reveal how generations of Americans have expressed patriotism and identity through maritime art and craftsmanship.”
Emblems of America shares the origins of American patriotic symbols in Chesapeake marine carving and traces their evolution across centuries to illuminate a tradition that endures today.
Guests will learn about the distinct types of maritime carvings that ornament skipjacks, log canoes, and bugeyes. These include three-dimensional figureheads (locally called “eagleheads”), nameboards, cheek boards, and gilded trailboards. These carvings are so highly prized by skipjack captains that they are often removed for safekeeping during the offseason.
Beyond the carvings featured in the Van Lennep Auditorium, the exhibition showcases additional artifacts and photographs from CBMM’s collection, some of which are on display across campus. This includes the iconic Miss Freedom figurehead, which has been a CBMM staple since 1966 and currently resides on the deck just outside the exhibition.
Emblems of America also highlights stories of local carvers, including Captain Dewey H. Webster of Deal Island, whose mid-20th-century template defined the iconic look of skipjacks like CBMM’s own Rosie Parks and frequent campus visitor H.M. Krentz, and Dr. Ed Thieler, a retired orthopedic surgeon and CBMM volunteer who carved highly detailed reproductions.
Viewing Emblems of America is included with general admission, which is always free for CBMM members.
Emblems of America will be on view through an exciting summer at CBMM. The St. Michaels Flag Day Celebration is up first this Sunday featuring a patriotic boat parade and more family fun with partners across the community. Learn more and reserve free tickets at cbmm.org/FlagDay.
In the coming weeks, CBMM will also host the Antique & Classic Boat Festival and Coastal Arts Fair (Friday-Sunday, June 19-21), Chesapeake Celebrations: Play on the Bay (Saturday, June 27), Big Band Night (Sunday, July 5), and Watermen’s Appreciation Day (Sunday, Aug. 9).
In addition, CBMM will open its next long-term exhibition, Stories from the Shoreline, on Wednesday, July 1, with a campus-wide opening celebration on Saturday, July 18.
Check the calendar at cbmm.org/Events to learn more about these upcoming events and discover even more opportunities to explore, learn, and celebrate at CBMM this summer.
