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November 3, 2025

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

1A Arts Lead Arts Arts Portal Lead

Q&A with Shore Lit Visiting Writer Tania James

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Tania James’s fourth book is a spellbinding coming-of-age tale. Abbas is just 17 when his gifts as a woodcarver come to the attention of Tipu Sultan and he is commanded to help build a life-sized mechanical tiger. But when it is stolen by British forces looting the palace, his fate becomes entwined with the wooden tiger he helped create, mirroring the vicissitudes of colonialism across countries, people, and decades. James chats with Academy Magazine about the novel, a “Most Anticipated Book of Summer 2023.”  

Kerry Folan: The automaton in Loot is based on an actual mechanical tiger on view at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. How did you first come across this work of art, and when did you know you wanted to write about it?

Tania James: I can’t remember where I first came across the image of Tipu’s Tiger, but I do know that I found it captivating from the moment I saw it. For context, Tipu’s Tiger is a spectacular 18th century automaton composed of a six-foot long wooden tiger that’s mauling the throat of a prone English soldier. Back in the day, you could turn the hand-crank, and the tiger would grunt while the soldier groaned, all while organ music played from within. I’d never seen a work of art—mechanized or otherwise—that was so bold in its contempt of British power, so irreverent and anti-colonialist. So I knew I wanted to write about Tipu’s Tiger, but it took me a while to realize that the novel would focus more on the makers of the automaton than the automaton itself.

KF: This novel is epic, spanning wars, continents, decades. Of all the characters we meet in this saga, why did you decide to focus on Abbas’s perspective?

TJ: I originally thought Loot would be a heist novel that would take place in an English country house. I’d thought it would follow two people in their attempt to swindle a wealthy Englishwoman out of Tipu’s Tiger, which is part of her art collection. But a question that kept nagging at me was: what would motivate someone to want this object so badly that they’d be willing to risk their reputation, their life, their freedom for it? And so I kept coming back to the artist who made it. And as I was exploring that character, I traced his journey back to India, to the time when he was first assigned this task of constructing Tipu’s Tiger. And I discovered what it meant to him, to be apprenticed to a French clockmaker who believed in his gifts, and to find a sense of purpose through art.

KF: How did you land on the title Loot?

TJ: Early in my research I happened upon a thrilling discovery, that the word loot has Sanskritic roots. (Lutna means “to plunder.”) The word “loot” entered the English language somewhere around the time of the novel, when the British Empire was pivoting toward a more aggressive form of conquest. It was great to happen upon a single word that suggests theft and migration, not only of objects but of language itself.

KF: The novel engages difficult questions about colonialism, property, and stolen artifacts. Does it argue for a specific position on those issues?

TJ: Primarily I wanted to write a novel that was full of delight and adventure but that also posed the sorts of difficult questions that museums are facing right now, questions like: to whom does a prize of war really belong and how do we contend with its bloody history? In the novel, I don’t land on clear answers, as I’m most interested in following these characters on their difficult journeys, in finding humor amidst their hardship, and in trying to inhabit the wonder that accompanies an act of creation.

James will visit AAM on September 15 to discuss Loot, an NPR “Most Anticipated Book of Summer 2023,” with Shore Lit Founder Kerry Folan. Visit the AAM website to register for this free program. 

Tania James is the author of four works of fiction, all published by Knopf: The Tusk That Did the Damage, which was a finalist for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and the Financial Times Oppenheimer Award; Aerogrammes and Other Stories, named a Best Book of 2012 by Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, and The San Francisco Chronicle; and the novel Atlas of Unknowns, which was a New York Times Editor’s Choice and a finalist for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. 

Kerry Folan is an Assistant Professor of writing and literature at George Mason University, and the founder of Shore Lit, an organization that brings free literary author events to the Eastern Shore. 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: Gladiolas and Bears

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Bouquet of Gladiolas, Lilies, and Daises” (1878)

If you were born in the month of August, your flower is the gladiola. It symbolizes strength of character, victory, and pride. It was named after the gladius, the sword used by Roman legions and gladiators, because of the flower’s tall stalk and the pointed petals. The gladius had a sharp pointed blade, 30 to 33 inches long, double-sided and two inches wide, and two pounds in weight. It was excellent for the close hand-to-hand combat. 

“Bouquet of Gladiolas, Lilies, and Daisies” (1878) (32.5’’ x 24.5’’) is by Claude Monet. He moved with his wife and son to Vetheuil, a small village 37 miles from Paris because he could not afford to live in Paris. His flower paintings appealed to a wider audience. From 1878 until 1881, his reputation grew and his commercial success increased with the backing of Parisian art dealer George Petit, who brought Monet’s work to the attention of the Parisian art market. 

The red and white gladiolas are placed with an unruly bunch of daisies to create a casual bouquet. Two white lilies center the composition. The white oriental vase and the colorful patched cloth on the table add to the rich color palette of the canvas. Monet’s choice of soft blue for the wall behind the vase and bouquet has a calming effect. Complementing the colors and shapes of the flowers and greenery, the round vase has two handles and two visible feet, and it is decorated simply with the colors in the painting.

“Vase with Red Gladiolas’’ (1886)

“Vase with Red Gladiolas’’ (1886) (26’’x16’’) is by Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh had the opportunity in 1886 to see the fifth Exposition Internationale of works by the Impressionists. His first impression was the works were “careless, ugly, badly painted,” but by the autumn of 1886, he wrote, “I have much admired certain Impressionist pictures–Degas, nude figures–Claude Monet, landscapes.” Although the two never met, Monet’s landscape “Tulip Fields” (1886), in the Exposition, is considered to have been a strong influence on Van Gogh’s work. The intense color of the tulips, painted with a thick impasto, were very different from Van Gogh’s then current style that followed Dutch painting, with its realism and earth tones. 

The colors, including those of the red gladiolas, are potent, and the brush work is vigorous. Van Gogh’s red gladiolas, symbols of the intense passion and strength of the gladiator, are powerful. In the rich green background, the two complementary colors red and green, have been used to best advantage. The green and white pattern of the vase, the pop of white flowers, the brick wall, and the rich wood tones of the table, would become the style that made Van Gogh famous.

 

Zuni Bear Totem

 

If you were born between August 22 and September 21, your Native American Totem Animal is the bear. The bear is the guardian of the West. Bears are symbols of strength, vitality, courage, and health, to name a few. Bears are considered the ultimate protectors, and many tribes always carry the bear symbol to keep the powerful spirit of the bear with them. One example is the Zuni Bear Totem (3.35’’x 1.5’’), a fetish carved by Bernard Homer, Jr., grandson of a famous Zuni fetish carver and follower of a long tradition of carvers. 

The bear carries a medicine bundle with turquoise, coral, a mussel shell arrow head. The bear has inlaid coral eyes. Turquoise, a popular stone with Native Americans and with ancient cultures around the world, brings good luck. Its bright blue color is the color of a clear sky. Coral has a long history as a symbol of the ocean. To native Americans it represents the lifeblood of Earth Mother. Coral and turquoise represent the unity of the earth and water. A valued food source, mussels live in both fresh and salt water. Mussels were a part of the sacred water world. The arrowhead represents courage and determination, important human characteristics for a successful hunt.

The bear has been a symbol in ancient cultures such as China, India, and Greece. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, also known as the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper or the Big Bear and the Little Bear, combined are the largest constellation in the northern sky. In the Greek myth of Callisto,

Zeus, married to Hera, had a roving eye and seduced many beautiful women. When Hera discovered his relationship with the nymph Callisto, she changed Callisto into a bear made to roamed the earth and hunted for 15 years.  Johann Wilhelm Baur’s etching “Callisto Hunted by Arcas” (1639) (Metamorphosis,1639) depicts the conclusion of the myth. By chance, Callisto’s son Arcas came upon her in the forest, and not recognizing her, drew his sword to kill the bear. Zeus, seeing this from above, swept down as a whirlwind and set them in the sky as the constellations Ursa Major and Minor. Callisto could watch over her son forever.

One of a bear’s most important strengths was its nurturing and protective nature. The Chippewa, Creek, Algonquian, Huron, Hopi, Cheyenne, and others tell several versions of the bear’s nurturing and supernatural healing powers. The tales tell of the bear’s mysterious power to heal itself and to teach others how to heal. Bears are considered spirit guides, and they are closely related to tribal shamans and figure in long-practiced rituals. 

 

The cartoon by political cartoonist Clifford Berryman was first seen in the Washington Post on November 16, 1902. He was inspired by newspaper stories about President Theodore Roosevelt, a well-known big game hunter. While on a bear hunt, he could not find a bear to shoot. Some of the men with him found a young black bear and tied it up for the kill. Roosevelt refused to shoot it, to do so was unsportsmanlike. Berryman’s cartoon caught the attention of Morris Michtom, a toymaker. With the President’s approval, he started selling “Teddy Bears.” Roosevelt created the United States Forest Service, five National Parks, and conserved over 230 million acres of land.

“Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh, and Piglet” (1926)

The story of bears continued in the London Evening News in 1925, as a children’s Christmas story with writer A.A. Milne and illustrator E.H. Shepherd. Milne bought a teddy bear for his son Christopher Robin Milne for Christmas from Herod’s Department Store in London. Christopher named his bear Winnie after a Canadian black bear he saw at the London Zoo. The Canadian black bear was a gift from Canadian Lieutenant Harry Colebourn, who purchased the cub while in Canada on his way to England during the First World War. He named the bear ‘Winnie” after his adopted hometown of Winnipeg. Winnie, a female bear, was a popular attraction. Pooh was the name of Christoper’s friend’s swan. Winnie the Pooh was drawn by Ernest Howard Shepherd, an illustrator at Punch Magazine. His drawing was inspired by his son’s teddy bear named Growler. The book Winnie-the-Pooh was first published in 1926.

“Paddington Bear” (1958)

The book A Bear Called Paddington first appeared on October 13, 1958. The book was written by British author Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum. Bond was inspired by a solitary teddy bear on a shelf in a bookstore near Paddington Station on Christmas Eve1956. He bought it for his wife. The inspiration for the story came during his observation of Jewish refugee children and London children who were sent to the country for safety during World War II. The children wore signs saying “Please look after this child.” Bond wrote the first story in ten days. Peggy Fortnum was commissioned to make black and white drawings for the book.

Peggy Fortnum, born in north London in1919, always wanted to be an artist, and she enrolled in art school in 1939. However, she could not stay out of the War after witnessing the bombing of London in 1940. She was a member of ATS, the women’s branch of the British Army. After a long recovery from a war injury, she returned to art school and went on to became an art teacher, painter, textile designer, and book illustrator. To be as accurate as possible, she went to the London Zoo and sketched and photographed Malayan black bears. “At the beginning, I wasn’t sure of the anatomy,” she wrote. “I wasn’t sure what to do with his paws…It takes an age to get it right.” Bond said of Fortnum, “She thought very highly of Paddington, as I did of her. It was a happy combination.”

Smokey Bear’s first appearance on a Forest Fire Prevention campaign poster, in 1944.

In 1942, a Japanese submarine attacked a southern California oil field next to the Los Padres National Forest. The War Advertising Council created a campaign to warn of the dangers of forest fires. On August 9, 1944, Smokey the Bear became the mascot of the U.S. Forest Service. He was drawn by the then popular animal illustrator Albert Staehle, and named after Smokey Joe Ryan, a famous New York City Fire Chief. After a discussion about Smokey’s image needing to be family and child friendly, officials selected the image of gentle bear holding a can of water and putting out a fire. Staehle designed the next two Smokey posters. During his career he drew 25 Saturday Evening Post covers, illustrated for the American Weekly, and created popular animal logos for products. Billboards using his popular animal images could be seen all over America.

Just one more bear story. In the spring of 1950, a fire in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico left a badly burned bear cub clinging to a tree. Firefighters found him and named him Smokey. Smokey was given a home at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, and he became a popular resident and a national symbol of conservation and fire safety. When he died in 1976, his remains were taken back to Capitan, New Mexico, and buried in the State Historical Park.  

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL. She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

  

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Spy Nights at the Stoltz Opens with Writer Sue Ellen Thompson

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In an exciting arts partnership this fall, the Avalon Foundation will be collaborating with the Talbot Spy to present three evocative evenings spotlighting some of the very best regional poets and writers at the Stoltz Listening Room in downtown Easton.

Sue Ellen Thompson

Set to debut on September 27 with the nationally recognized and locally admired poet, Sue Ellen Thompson, whose work has been featured on National Public Radio and has won the praise of such luminaries as Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, will be reading from her sixth collection of work, SEA NETTLES: NEW & SELECTED POEMS, which will be released next month.

The series continues on November 1 with Neil King Jr., formerly of Wall Street Journal. In his latest book, “American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal”, King, who lives part-time in Claiborne, chronicles his introspective 330-mile journey from Washington, D.C. to New York City, serving as a reflective lens into America’s tapestry.

Neil King Jr.

Rounding out the program on November 15 is the collective brilliance of the “Word Girls”. Three gifted poets Meredith Davies Hadaway, Erin Murphy, and Amanda Newell,with strong local ties to Chestertown, Gunston School, and Washington College, are set to captivate audiences with verses that span environmental, societal, and deeply personal themes.

Al Bond, president of the Avalon Foundation, remarked, “This collaboration with Spy is great for our mission. We’re delighted to help put the spotlight on poetry and writing in the same way we’ve done with  music, theater, and film.”

Word Girls Meredith Davies Hadaway, Erin Murphy, and Amanda Newell

Echoing this sentiment, Dave Wheelan, executive editor of the Spy, said, “Our partnership with Avalon gives us a wonderful opportunity to share with our community some of the very best writers the Spy has come to know and admire over the years. And we’re so pleased to have this take place in the Stoltz Room. What a perfect place to hear beautiful voices in such a comfortable venue.”

Tickets are priced at $25 per person, with readings commencing at 6 pm. Every dollar raised supports the Avalon Foundation and the Talbot Spy’s mission to promote art programming and coverage.
Date & Time: September 27, November 1, and November 15; All readings begin at 6 pm.
Venue: Stoltz Listening Room
Organized by: The Avalon Foundation & Talbot Spy
Ticket Price: $25/person
Cash bar

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Spy Arts Diary: Avalon Jazz, Native Art, and Symphonic Strings by Steve Parks

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For a decade, beginning in 2010, the Monty Alexander Jazz Festival was the centerpiece of the Avalon Foundation’s Labor Day weekend celebration, after which fashion custom decreed it no longer suitable to wear white in public. But since the festival played its last notes before the Monday holiday, it was OK for Alexander to take the stage wearing a white tuxedo jacket.

In 2021, Alexander ended his 10-year summer’s-end run in Easton. But the host team picked up the baton with the 2022 Avalon Jazz Experience, headlined by Marcus Roberts’ Modern Jazz Generation. The second Jazz Experience festival opens Friday night, Sept. 1, on the Avalon’s main stage with Sammy Miller and the Congregation, followed on Saturday night by a return engagement of Dominick Farinacci & Friends and Allan Harris in a Sunday matinee.

Sammy Miller and his seven-piece band have toured the world, more or less, with highlight stops at the jazz festivals at Monterey and Newport, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, the White House, and, before the invasion of Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin, the Prokofiev Concert Hall in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

Dominick Farinacci, trumpet

Trumpeter Farinacci, another globetrotter who’s played in Japan, Qatar, and the Eastern Shore – having opened the inaugural Jazz Experience festival last September – brings his Triad ensemble of pianist Jonathan Thomas, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Jerome Jennings to the Avalon along with vocalist Ekep Nkwelle and flamenco dancer Alice Blumenfeld for a multifaceted program ranging from jazz standards to improvisational riffs.

The festival finale shines the spotlight on versatile Brooklyn-born, Harlem-based guitarist/vocalist/bandleader/composer Harris, whose unique interpretation of the Great American Songbook has drawn comparisons to Tony Bennett and Nat King Cole. Contemporary jazz, including Harris originals from his “Kate’s Soulfood” album, add a finishing touch to this wide-ranging Jazz Experience playlist. avalonfoundation.org

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For a theatrical cabaret experience, Centre Stage presents the 2014 Broadway musical “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill,” which captures the demons and dramatic allure of Baltimore native Billie Holiday months before her 1959 death. Her songs accompanied on piano – among them “God Bless the Child” and the lynch-protest anthem “Strange Fruit” – are, of course, integral to the show, running Sept. 14 to Oct. 8. But her life story, spilling out between numbers, slurring into intoxicated incoherence, reveal a subtext even more compelling than the dark lyrics. The play marks the directorial debut of Pulitzer-nominated actress/author Nikkole Salter.
centrestage.org

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An unprecedented National Gallery of Art group exhibition opening Sept. 22 along the Mall in D.C. features works by 50 living Native American artists across the United States. In mediums ranging from painting to performance art, from sculpture to sketches and beadwork to weaving, as well as video and film, “The Land Carries Our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans” presents a collective visualization of indigenous reverence for and connection to land they inhabit or once inhabited.

Curated by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, an artist, and citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation, the show, running through Jan. 15 in the National Gallery’s East Building, reflects thousands of years of spiritual concern for tribal land bases that have been invaded and annexed through serial treaty abrogations. The Flathead Indian Reservation, for instance, was home to three tribes in Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia, of which more than half a million acres slipped from their grasp through land re-allotments that began in 1904. The exhibit’s artistic statement calls for justice and recognition.
nga.gov

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Meanwhile, an installation of indigenous art by Dakota-based Ogala-Sioux Marty Two Bulls Jr. puts a new face on Easton’s Academy Art Museum’s Atrium entranceway gallery, where “Hoesy Corona: Terrestrial Caravan” has been making its climate-change statement for a year.

Using the buffalo as a metaphor for overconsumption resulting in near-extinction, the artist critiques a culture that would lay waste to such iconic and powerful creatures. “Marty Two Bulls Jr.: Dominion” is an imagery wasteland of paper cutouts, soda cans, and assorted non-recyclables reflecting a disconnection from nature and a disregard for ancestral economy and wisdom. The installation opens on Sept. 15 and runs through next August. academyartmusuem.org
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Jesse Montgomery

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, led by Grammy winner Michael Repper, launches its 2023-24 subscription season of Masterworks concerts featuring Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and living American composer, violinist, and educator Jessie Montgomery.

The season-opening concert, 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28, at Easton Church of God, introduces “Strum,” a song for string orchestra or chamber configurations by Montgomery, resident composer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, whose “Soul Force” was among the recordings by African-American women on New York Youth Symphony Orchestra’s album that won the best-orchestral Grammy for the young musicians and music director Repper. Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings” follows on the program, anchored by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. The three-concert series continues at beach venues: Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes, Delaware, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, and 3 p.m. Oct. 1, Community Church, Ocean Pines.

Here is your chance to welcome autumn with a classical and contemporary salutation.
midatlanticsymphony.org

Steve Parks is a retired New York arts writer and editor now living in Easton.

 

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Looking at the Masters: Ravenna

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By the 3rd Century CE, the Roman Empire was in decline largely as a result of civil wars and barbarian invasions. However, Christianity was taking hold despite Roman persecution.

Romans cremated the remains of their citizens, but Christians did not. In order that members’ bodies could be buried together in consecrated ground, the Christians asked for and were granted land outside the city for cemeteries. As more people converted to Christianity, more space for burial was required, and it became necessary to dig deeper into the earth for tombs. Painting on plastered walls of catacombs began in the 3rd Century as the Christian community drew in more, and wealthier, members. Images were drawn from classical Greek art. For example, the strong man figure of Hercules was depicted holding a sheep, a reference to a good shepherd. Scenes were drawn mostly from Old Testament salvation stories: Jonah saved from the whale or Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego alive and well in the fiery furnace. Human figures in early Christian catacombs were painted crudely and in earth tones.

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna (425-450 CE)

Constantine the Great, who reigned from 306 until 337 CE, declared Rome to be Christian in 312 CE. He took the title Holy Roman Emperor and moved the capital from Rome to the Greek city of Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople in 330 CE. During the reign of Emperor Honorarius (395-420 CE), the official capital in the west was Ravenna, not Rome. Galla Placida, daughter of Honorarius, was made regent of Ravenna until her six-year-old son Valentinian reached age eighteen. She built the Mausoleum of Galla Placida to hold her sarcophagus and those of her father, husband, and son. The Mausoleum, made of unadorned brick outside, is in the shape of a cross created by two barrel vaults that meet in the center to form a dome.

“St Lawrence”

The mosaic decorations inside the Mausoleum represent a new phase in Christian art. Richly colored mosaics decorated the interiors of the new buildings in Ravenna, inspired by the mosaics of Byzantine Greece. The walls and floors were covered with multicolored marble slabs and cut marble inlays. The ceiling vaults were covered with deep blue mosaics to resemble the starry heavens. The Mausoleum was dedicated to St Lawrence, and the mosaics depict him clothed in white, carrying a large open Gospel book and a large gold cross. For the first time he wears a large gold halo. Introduced into Christian art, the halo identified members of the Holy Family and the saints. Lawrence, a Christian deacon in the 2nd Century CE, was responsible for giving alms to Rome’s poor, widows, and orphans. When Pope Sixtus II was executed in Rome, Lawrence sold church treasures and gave the money to the poor. For this offense against the Church, a large grill was made, and Lawrence was put on it and burned to death. The figure of St Lawrence is always seen with a grill. The chest with the open doors holds the four gospels labeled Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Lawrence is the patron saint of the poor and of cooks.

“Christ the Good Shepherd”

At another end of the cross-shaped building is the mosaic “Christ the Good Shepherd.” The figure of the good shepherd was popular, but its identity as the figure of Christ was just beginning to be accepted. In Ravenna, for the first time, the Christ figure is dressed in a golden robe with deep blue decorations, a royal purple stole, gold halo, and holds a gold cross. The face is of a young beardless man. He sits on a rock in a green field, surrounded by six white sheep among rocks and plants under a blue sky. The arch above Christ is a Greek Christian artist’s innovative and lavish depiction of the starry heavens.

Dome of Mausoleum of Galla Placida

On the dome is the depiction of another version of the starry heavens, filled with swirling gold stars. A large decorated gold cross is placed at the center. At the four corners are the symbols of the four Gospels. At the lower left, the eagle represents John the Evangelist, who was taken up to Heaven where God dictated to him the Book of Revelations. At the lower right is the Lion of St Mark. When Mark first heard John the Baptist’s voice “crying out in the wilderness” (Mark 1:3), he said that it sounded like the roar of a lion. At the upper right is the Ox of St Luke. His gospel emphasizes sacrifice, service, and strength. At the upper left Matthew appears as an angel. The Gospel of Matthew opens with the angel appearing to Joseph to tell him to wed Mary.

Apse mosaic, Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna (526-547 CE)

Justinian the Great reigned from 527 until 565 CE. He was able to reclaim most of the Roman territory previously lost to Barbarian tribes. He codified Roman law, condemned the Monophysite heresy that Christ was a single being, and embraced the Trinitarian belief that Christ represented three persons in one. Justinian also was an important patron of architecture and art. The Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna was built under the direction of Bishop Eccelsius of Ravenna and financed by the local banker and architect Julius Agentarius. St Vitale is the patron saint of Ravenna, and the church was built on the site of his martyrdom. An officer in the Roman army who was discovered to be a Christian, Vitali was stretched on a rack, thrown into a pit, and covered with rocks and dirt.

“Christ Offers the Crown of Martyrdom to St Vitali”

In “Christ Offers the Crown of Martyrdom to St Vitali,” the young beardless Christ is placed at the center of the mosaic. Dressed in royal purple robes, He sits on the globe of heaven. A halo representing the Trinity encircles His head. Angels robed in white stand on both sides. He extends the martyr’s crown to San Vitale. The figure of Eclesius, representing the congregation of the church, holds a model of the San Vitali for presentation to Christ. The four figures stand on green earth with white flowers. Christ is suspended above earth in the blue globe of heaven, the golden world of eternal paradise.

“Justinian”

Two mosaics, “Justinian” and “Theodora,” are elevated above the altar on the walls just below the mosaic of the crown of martyrdom. The levels are significant. The church floor is the space for the congregation. The altar, elevated a few steps above the floor, is the space for the priests. The Emperor and Empress are placed above the priests, and just below Christ.

In “Justinian” (8’8’’ x 12’), the Emperor is depicted wearing a royal purple and gold stole over a white robe. He is the only figure with a crown and a halo. At the far right of the scene, the clergy in white vestments carry a censer, a gospel book, and a Bishop holds a gold cross. Justinian holds a gold bowl containing the Eucharistic bread. At the left are imperial administrators wearing white and purple robes. The figures at the far left are soldiers: one holds a large shield with the Christian symbol Chi Rho, the first letters of the Greek word Christ. This symbol was introduced by Constantine the Great.

“Theodora” (547 CE)

Theodora, the wife of Justinian, had been his mistress, and was 20 years younger than the Emperor when he married her. She was a showgirl/actress, but she was very intelligent and a significant figure in Justinian’s government. In the mosaic ‘’Theodora’’ (8’8’’ x 12’) is dressed in royal purple robes and lavish jewelry. At the right are her court ladies and eunuchs. Among the mosaic tiles of her jewelry are mother of pearl discs. She wears a crown and halo and holds the vessel of Eucharistic wine. The three Magi are shown bearing their gifts in the gold border at the hem of her robe. Justinian and Theodora are the formal officiants in the ceremony. Green earth surrounds Theodora and the figures, while a striped canopy covers her court ladies, and an elegant cupola covers Theodora. At the far left, a fountain with an eagle on top provides clear, fresh water. A mysterious space is revealed beyond the open curtain.

“Lamb of God”

The mosaic “Lamb of God” on the surface of the dome contains an exquisite pattern of flower and animal figures. Each flower and animal is a symbol. The figure of the Lamb of God with a halo, stands at the center of the starry heaven. The dome is divided into four sections. Four Orans, praying figures with raised arms, stand on sky globes and praise the Lamb. Orans were among the most common and earliest figures found in Early Christian art. The crisscrossing mosaic includes flowers and fruit and the image of a peacock at each corner. The Greeks believed that the flesh of the peacock did not decay after death. The peacock became a symbol of immortality for Christians.

The Mausoleum of Galla Placida and the Basilica of San Vitale are two of the eight Byzantine Christian monuments designated UNESCO World Heritage structures in Ravenna: “The early Christian religious monuments in Ravenna are of outstanding significance by virtue of the supreme artistry of the mosaic art that they contain, and also because of the crucial evidence that they provide of artistic and religious relationships and contacts at an important period of European cultural history.” (UNESCO, December 1996)

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL. She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

CBMM to Feature Her Helm Special Exhibition

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CBMM’s Her Helm exhibition features a selection of Kristin Rutkowski’s photo portraits of women who captain vessels on the Chesapeake Bay, including Kate Dumhart of the schooner Sultana.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is pleased to announce a forthcoming special exhibition showcasing the work of photographer Kristin Rutkowski to highlight women who captain vessels on the Chesapeake Bay.

On public view starting Sept. 8, Her Helm: Portraits of Women on the Chesapeake brings a selection of photos from Rutkowski’s portrait project of the same name to the Van Lennep Auditorium. CBMM will host an exhibition-opening artist talk with Rutkowski on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 5:30pm. Registration is available now at bit.ly/HerHelm, with both in-person and virtual attendance options at a suggested ticket price of $8 per person.

With this two-year project, Rutkowski sought to challenge gendered stereotypes of who commands the wheel aboard vessels that ply the Bay.

“Women have long had vital roles in the Chesapeake’s fisheries and as skilled mariners,” CBMM’s Director of Curatorial Affairs & Exhibitions Jen Dolde said. “Nonetheless, their contributions frequently were not documented, or are not given the attention their contributions warrant. Kristin Rutkowski’s images boldly represent these women, and the oral histories give voice to their determination and passion.”

A Maryland-based portrait photographer, Rutkowski traveled the region to feature more than 50 women who make their own way on the water, discovering a network of recreational power boaters and sailors, charter boat and tug captains, maritime and environmental educators, and delivery boat and ferry operators. Each of them, she found, experienced unique obstacles and challenges as they built their confidence and capability on the water.

Captured in their element along the docks and waterways or at the helm of their vessels, these women are empowered through Rutkowski’s lens. The paragraphs accompanying each portrait spotlight the captains’ accomplishments and capture their voices using their own words from informal interviews with the photographer. CBMM’s parallel oral history project will record life history interviews with more than a dozen of the women featured in “Her Helm.”

The full collection of Rutkowski’s portraits will be featured in a soon-to-be published “Her Helm” book.

“I’m excited to share the Her Helm project, and the amazing women involved, with the friends of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum,” Rutkowski said. “CBMM’s mission to record and promote life and culture around the Bay makes it the perfect place to recognize the contributions and leadership of these women. I’m incredibly grateful for CBMM’s support in sharing this project and recognizing the importance of celebrating this demographic, of helping to normalize the fact that women are in charge of boats.”

Entrance to view Her Helm is included with general admission, which is free for CBMM members. This exhibition is funded through CBMM’s Regional Folklife Center under the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

CBMM will offer programming around the exhibition over the coming months, starting with Rutkowski’s Sept. 14 talk.

On Oct. 23 at 5:30pm, Captain Judy Bixler will speak about her experiences at the helm of the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry over the past two decades. Registration for the program, “Her Helm: The Oxford-Bellevue Ferry Tale,” is now at bit.ly/FerryTale. The suggested cost is $8 per person, with both in-person and virtual options available.

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AAM Announces a New Atrium Commission by Marty Two Bulls, Jr

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Detail from the installation Dominion, 2023, beer bottles, found trash can, wire, plywood, Courtesy of the Artist

The Academy Art Museum is pleased to announce its new exhibition Marty Two Bulls, Jr.: Dominion. South Dakota-based Oglala Sioux artist Marty Two Bulls, Jr. will transform the Museum’s Saul Atrium Gallery with a site-specific installation. His work critiques consumption culture, using the metaphor of the American Bison, one of the first American resources consumed almost to extinction. The amorphic Bisons emerge from a mess of detritus: paper and Tyvek cutouts, soda cans, milk jugs, and more. Two Bulls, Jr. reflects on consumerism by creating a wasteland resulting from a disconnection with nature and ancestral forms of knowledge.

“We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to Two Bulls, Jr.’s Atrium commission, which serves as a layered acknowledgment of the oppression Native American people have endured in their homelands as well as a critique of consumer culture. The breadth of Two Bulls, Jr.’s practice is incredible: from the immersive, floor-to-ceiling hand-cut prints he amasses on top of one another for his wall-mounted work, to monumental sculptures made from found objects such as bottles and trash cans, Two Bulls, Jr. conjures a mimesis of a crucial sociopolitical reality. We are excited for the interactive dimension of the exhibition, which will allow visitors to scan QR codes to learn the histories of some of the elements Two Bulls, Jr. incorporates into his work, such as barbed wire and the American bison,” states Curator Mehves Lelic.

“Bison were a vital resource for many Native American people until the arrival of European settlers who hunted it to the verge of extinction. Two Bulls, Jr.’s work provides significant fodder for generative discussions about the legacies of colonization and the mistreatment of Indigenous people in this country, as well as our relationship to consumption and capitalism today. We’re thrilled to show our audiences such thought-provoking work and for rich dialogue to emerge,” adds Director Sarah Jesse.

The 2022-2023 Atrium Commission is generously supported by Ca

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Spy Review : Much Ado About Something and a Decade of Shore Shakespeare

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Judging from her fond recollections, Avra Sullivan, executive director and co-founder of the Shore Shakespeare Company, comes by her passion for the Bard genetically. “My parents read me Shakespeare as bedtime stories,” she said with a laugh, “but they may have thought Hamlet is a little rough for a 7-year-old.”

 

Opening on Labor Day weekend at Adkins Arboretum – where Shore Shakespeare got its start a decade ago – Sullivan directs Much Ado About Nothing, which moves on to Oxford Community Center’s backyard the following weekend and Chestertown’s Wilmer Park, Sept. 15-17. 

 

Avra Sullivan as Lady Macbeth

After being introduced to Shakespeare at such a young age and subsequently earning her high-school diploma, Sullivan met Chris Rogers, a fellow Shakespeare devotee, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where she was a Wilkes University theater/dance major. Post-college, they joined a Shakespearean troupe near Atlantic City. But after moving back home to her native Chestertown, Sullivan missed the experience of performing Shakespeare live and, together with Rogers, pursued their shared ambition to offer Shakespeare in the “way it was performed in his time,” Sullivan said – excluding the Elizabethan ban on women performing on stage. Their goal was and remains to present free open-air shows (with pay-what-you-wish or suggested-donation options) played on austere sets framing players in character costumes but not especially elaborate.

 

Their vision was realized in 2013 at Adkins Arboretum near Ridgely, where the inaugural Shore Shakespeare production, Twelfth Night, drew an audience of 300 who brought their own lawn chairs or beach blankets seating. A second performance in Chestertown followed.

 

The new company returned the following year with the ultimate romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Successive summers featured Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and As You Like It. In 2019, Shore Shakespeare moved indoors to Chestertown’s Garfield Center for a February staging of Don Nigro’s spoof, The Curate’s ‘As You Like It’ (lawn chairs unnecessary). 

 

Two tragic events – COVID-19 and the sudden and unexpected death by heart attack of co-founder Chris Rogers – wiped out plans for any performances. In 2021, though COVID still prevented most indoor performing arts – Shore Shakespeare recovered by presenting A Little Touch of Shakespeare on the Theme of Love, a collage of seven snippets put together by Rogers and performed as a tribute to him in Centreville’s Wharf Park. A full production of Measure for Measure, directed by company choreographer and actor Greg Miniahan, was last summer’s Shore Shakespeare offering. 

 

Much Ado About Nothing ostensibly centers on the courtship of Hero and her suitor Claudio. But they are upstaged by the witty repartee of Hero’s cousin Beatrice (played by Christine Kinlock) and Claudio’s friend Benedick (played by Howard Messick, a Shore Shakespearean from the company’s inception).

 

But besides live summer performances, while the most public face of Shore Shakespeare, there’s much more to its mission. “We do a ton of educational outreach,” Sullivan says, citing her team’s status as artists-in-residence for Caroline County schools – principally North Caroline High in Denton and Colonel Richardson near Federalsburg. “We do workshop classes on acting and stagecraft,” Sullivan says, adding that five students from the spring semester are in the cast of Much Ado.

 

When asked about the biggest challenge for Shore Shakespeare, Sullivan has a quick answer. “Weather. It’s not just performances that get rained out. So do our rehearsals. We’re an outdoor company, all right.”

 

As for Shore Shakespeare’s repertoire of plays over its 10-year history, only two have been tragedies. Hamlet was not one of them. After all, “to be or not to be” was out of the question as a young child’s bedtime story.

 

Steve Parks is a retired New York arts writer and editor now living in Easton.

 

Shore Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

 

Adkins Arboretum: Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. and Sept. 3 at 3 p.m.

Oxford Community Center: Sept. 8 at 7 p.m., Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. & Sept. 10 at 3 p.m.

Wilmer Park: Sept.15 at 7 p.m., Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. & Sept. 17 at 3 p.m.

 

http://www.shoreshakespeare.org

 

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Ampersand Brings Colonial-Era Music to Furnace Town Living Heritage Village

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Easton-based folk and traditional string band Ampersand will present a concert of pre-Civil War music at Furnace Town Living Heritage Village, 3816 Old Furnace Rd, Snow Hill, MD on Saturday, August 19th from 5 to 8pm. Admission is $10/person (kids $5), with food and beverages available for purchase; picnicking is also encouraged!

From 1828-1850 the Nassawango Iron Furnace was in its heyday. Furnace Town (also called Nescongo or Nasseongo) was a company town of approximately 300 people, where many workers – miners, sawyers, colliers, molders, draymen, and bargemen – labored to make iron. The Living Heritage Village includes 11 restored buildings and the Nassawango Iron Furnace; buildings will be open during the summer concert series evenings. For more details and directions, please see www.furnacetown.org.

Ampersand’s trio will bring guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, cello, penny whistles, percussion, and three-part harmony to this evening of songs and tunes from colonial America up to the Civil War period.

One of the band’s members, Beth Lawton, notes that many of the songs reflect a modern sensibility even when they use old-fashioned language. She explains, “for example, “Robin Adair” is a song of unrequited love that echoes feelings that might be experienced by modern ghosting!” Another member, Dick Hogle, describes an early song, “Rye Whiskey,” as a perfect lullaby for easing his young daughter to sleep – even as the song tells of diving into a river of whiskey and drinking “ten thousands of 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 “Sailor’s Hornpipe” (16th century) and energetic “Bear Dance” (15th century).

Although many of the songs deal with the hardships of early colonial life and the ever-present alcohol use, misbehavior, and even death, the concert is deemed “family-friendly” and the whole group takes delight in sharing this music with a modern audience.

This group serves up a love of history through their music, and are happy when audience members sing along, ask questions, or come up afterwards to try out one of the instruments.
For more information, please go to Ampersand’s website.

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Looking at the Masters: Quill Hyde

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Quill Hyde grew up in rural Washington, along the Canadian Border. As a child on a farm, he spent a lot of time in nature and with animals. He says he had a fantastic childhood, full of adventures. He received a BA in Physics from Reed College in Oregon and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University in New York City, both in 1995. He spent 15 years in New York City automating Broadway shows such as Mamma Mia, Blue Man Group, and productions of the American Ballet Theater. Hyde returned to his roots in the town of Tonasket, Washington. He set up a metal shop where he gathered a crew “committed to making beautiful, unique, and durable creations. We design, build, and collaborate to make dreams come true,” he said.

The Council of Animals” (Burning Man Festival, 2021)

Hyde first visited the Burning Man Festival in the desert at Black Rock City, Nevada in 2006. Started in1986, the Festival has been held annually the week before Labor Day. It features a large number of artists’ presentations designed and built around an annual theme. Hyde first participated in 2007. 

The theme of the 2021 Festival, the first after COVID, was The Great Unknown.  Over 80,00 artists and visitors participated. “The Council of Animals (What to Do About the Monkeys)” was Hyde’s contribution. He describes his point of view: “It was a surprise, as a young person, when I realized that none of my classmates thought of themselves as animals, that they thought of themselves as somehow separate, superior, like we were dropped in from another reality. I grew up close to the dirt, with animals as friends and foes alike, as equals. So, it was a shock, in that fifth-grade classroom–wait, what? I’ve been thinking about it ever since.” 

“The Council of Animals” consists of three large metal sculptures: a1200 pound elephant, a 7-foot-tall polar bear, and a 6-foot-tall rhino. Standing upright and holding a burning earth talking stick topped by a globe, Coyote delivers a message. He is the animals’ lawyer and delivers their message to the Festival participants seated on benches of reclaimed wood.

“The Council of Animals” (night at Burning Man)

At night the “Council” circle is lit dramatically. Coyote’s earth globe lights up with flames. The benches for “the monkeys,” are placed to encourage watchers to engage in a meaningful dialogue about the relationship of animals and humans. Hyde says that we are judged by the animals. ‘’We’re all in it together and better figure it out soon.” 

Polar Bear, Elephant, Rhino, and Chicken (National Mall, Washington DC, 2023)

On July 11, 2023, “The Council of Animals (What to Do About the Humans)” opened on the National Mall in Washington, DC, and it will close on September 3, 2023. The exhibition is presented by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Ingrid Newkirk, President of PETA, commented at the opening ceremony, “Humans aren’t the only animals who communicate, and if we could speak the languages of other species, we would understand their appeals for freedom and a just world.”

 

Coyote

Coyote delivers the animals’ message: “Dear friends, we are gathered here today to discuss the problem of humanity. Look around you. There’s the elephant, with her profound emotional intelligence; the rhino, with his majestic horn; the polar bear, with his unmatched resilience; the chicken, with her superb mothering instincts; and me—the clever coyote. But our talents, interests, and autonomy are often overlooked because some humans believe other animals exist just for them.” Coyote’s message is delivered through the globe speaker broadcasting the recorded voice of actor Edward James Olmos.

Chicken

The animals sit and look on calmly, except for the chicken perched on the rhino’s back. The chicken was not included in “The Council of Animals” at Burning Man. With wide spread wings and ruffled feathers, she regards the human viewers with watchful eyes. 

“The Council of Animals” (2023)

 

Quill Hyde describes his intentions with respect to the creation of this sculptural group: “All of the living beings on this planet are part of one family and we’re all special and have a right to exist. I hope this piece, “The Council of Animals,” will help people realize that we are not the only ones that matter, that the idea of being judged by our animal peers will inspire us humans to make kinder choices, for everyone’s sake.”

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL. She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

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