The Talbot Spy

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Mid-Shore Arts: Maria Wood and Chestertown and a New RiverArts Era

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It shouldn’t come as a shock for anyone who knows the Wood family, originally from Queen Anne’s County, that a Wood is now running Chestertown RiverArts. For at least three generations, the Woods have been directly involved in Mid-Shore arts. Starting with grandmother and writer Mary Wood, and her own parents long-term patrons of the arts, Maria Woods is undoubtedly carrying on this tradition as the new director of RiverArts.

What is not in the Woods family tradition, however, are global pandemics. Whatever plans Maria might have had just weeks ago for RiverArts have been placed on the back burner as she and her colleagues must reinvent relationships with its community of artists and students as the result of coronavirus.

A few days ago, we talked remotely with Maria as RiverArts, the community’s leading visual arts organization, about this new “normal” in Kent County.

Mid-Shore Arts: A Check-in with Avalon’s Al Bond on Farmers’ Markets and Concerts

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In the Spy’s continued survey on how the Mid-Shore’s arts organizations are coping during the coronavirus crisis, we talked to Al Bond, CEO, and president of the Avalon Foundation.

While many think of the Avalon as the Eastern Shore’s premier music venue, the fact is that the foundation does so much more than that. From running the popular Easton Farmers’ Market, a public access television station, free public concerts throughout the summer, or major shows at Chesapeake College’s Todd Theater, the Avalon’s scope is far and wide.

Al talks about the current status of the Avalon theater, the Stoltz Listening Room, MCTV, the new Farmers’ Market plans, and a general check-in on its financial health (it is) and future plans.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about the Avalon Foundation please go here.

On the Performing Arts and GCTV: A Chat with Steven Arnold

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If Spy readers immediately recognize the new director of the Garfield Center for the Arts, there is a good reason for that. That is because Steven Arnold was very well known as the head of the beloved Church Hill Theatre for many years before he left the area in 2011. And that was one of the reasons he didn’t think twice about returning the Kent County a few months ago to lead the Garfield Center.

But a few months ago these days can mean a lifetime, and Steven, along with the staff and trustees of the Garfield, has had to think fast on how the arts center can continue its critical role in this new era of the coronavirus.

A few days ago, the Spy sat down with Steven to talk about this revised mission but also about his own background, his passion for the arts, and how the Garfield is boldly launching GCTV as one new strategy to keep connected with their patrons and the community in general.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For information about the Garfield and GCTV please go here.

COVID-19: A Conversation with Commissioner Boos and St. Michaels

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Bill Boos is no stranger to difficult times, but like so many of his fellow residents in St. Michaels, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is something no one could possibly imagine four weeks ago. Not only is the current crisis for an unknown challenge every municipality in the country, but it is also particularly difficult for a place like St. Michaels and its high dependence on tourism.

In his Spy interview from yesterday, Bill, who serves as the president of the St. Michaels Commission, talks candidly about his town’s priorities, the concerns of second homeowners taking up residence on mass, and the town’s protection of its water supply and public safety.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length.

COVID-19: Supporting the Most Vulnerable with Matthew Peters

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While the front door of the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center is clearly marked in several languages that during the coronavirus crisis, clients must make an appointment in advance, that didn’t stop a worried mother banging the door to get help with dozens of questions for Matthew Peters, the center’s director.

From finding rent money, food, and healthcare, the client base of Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center represents the most vulnerable on the Mid-Shore. Without seasonal work, and unable to qualify for the federal government’s upcoming $1,200 check for most Americans, these families face a most uncertain future. One of their very few resources is Mathew and his team of staff and volunteers.

The Spy talked to Matthew by Zoom yesterday for a quick check-in.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information about the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center please go here

COVID-19: Corey Pack on Governor’s Orders, Short-Term Rentals and Feeding Families

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The Spy had a quick check-in with Corey Pack, president of the Talbot County Council, a few hours after Governor Larry Hogan issued a major stay-at-home directive. In our interview, President Pack talks about the measures the County is taking to comply with the Hogan directive, the current cases and the numbers tested for the virus, and how they are reaching out to short-term rental owners to hold off on new registrations.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length. Go here for the latest county information.  

Islander’s War: A Chat with Author Don Parks

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Perhaps one of the most iconic photographs of the Eastern Shore in recent times in the frightening image of the last remaining house on Holland Island. It depicts the devastating impact of sea levels rising on the Chesapeake Bay islands but also a reminder that Holland Island once was home to three hundred residents.

The later is what Eastern Shore writer Don Parks seeks to bring to light with his new novel, entitled Islander’s War, which was the home of his father at the beginning of the 2oth century. Drawn to an island culture made up of small families, Parks tells of young men leaving the small hamlet to serve in World War I, following in love, and the hard choices they need to make of when and if they will return to their community after the conflict ends. 

The Spy talked to Don before the coronavirus shutdown to learn more about Islander’s War and the life and times of Holland Island.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. To purchase Islander’s War, published by Secant, please go here 

 

Mid-Shore Food: Checking in with Sprout’s Ryan Groll

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In 2017, the Spy started a unique partnership with Emily and Ryan Groll to not only put a spotlight on their innovative Sprout food service but also the dozens of producers that make up the ingredients of their locally sourced products. Since that time, Sprout has grown into a significant player in the Mid-Shore food scene, with a dozen or so “Sproutlet” self-service kiosks and retail stores in Easton and St. Michaels.

Much has changed for Ryan and Emily in the last few weeks, and we thought it would be a good time to check in with Sprout as they continue to provide the Delmarva with their fresh and unique menu selections, even during the midst of the coronavirus health crisis.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about Sprout please go here.

Mid-Shore Arts: @ the Academy with Ben Simons

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Perhaps it was just pure chance that the Academy Art Museum had already scheduled a significant shutdown of programs and exhibitions this spring. With a major renovation of its galleries and new visitor entry underway, the ability of the AAM to cope with the impact of COVID-19 has been far easier than many of its peer institutions as a result.

But that’s not to say that the Academy doesn’t face certain challenges going forward. Nonetheless, as AAM’s director Ben Simons notes in his interview with the Spy, the current crisis has opened up some new thinking about how an art museum and education center can operate.

From his home in the countryside just outside of town limits (hence the sub-par video quality), Ben highlights what his institution is doing with his creative staff and devoted board of trustees, to continue its mission. Harnessing the power of the web, the AAM is offering several new programs aimed at children, art students, and lovers of the visual arts, which is now making the Academy’s website an entirely new experience for learning and enjoying art.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information about the Academy Art Museum, please go here.

 

The State of Easton Commerce during COVID-19 with Ross Benincasa

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While the emphasis on health is critical as we protect ourselves and our communities from the devastating effects of the coronavirus crisis, the impact of local businesses now, and in the future, is equally disconcerting as we pass by closed stores in downtown Easton. Not only do they indicate the state of our regional economy, they tell of the real hardship of their owners and employees, many of which are our friends and neighbors.

To catch us up on current conditions on the ground, as well as state and federal programs designed to help these local businesses weather the storm, we turn to Ross Benincasa, director of local Discover Easton, for an update.

 

This video is approximately seven minutes in length. For more information about purchasing a local business gift card, please go here.

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