More than 60 juried maritime artists and craftsman will be at the waterfront Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Antique & Classic Boat Festival June 16-18 when The Arts at Navy Point returns to St. Michaels, Md. In addition to traditional maritime artists and craftspeople from throughout the United States, a number of marine tradespeople will also be exhibiting at the event.
This year’s exhibitors include marine wildlife master carver Dave Newcomer of North Conway, N.H., who begins with interestingly shaped pieces of wood and turns them into dolphins, whales, mermaids, and entire schools of fish.
Now in its 30th year, the Antique & Classic Boat Festival is held by the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society and brings an era of by-gone days to Father’s Day weekend as wooden classics, vintage race boats, and other antique and Chesapeake Bay-related boats take to the Miles River and CBMM’s 18-acre waterfront campus.
The Arts at Navy Point features nautical- and maritime-related oil and watercolor paintings, sculptures created from various media, photographs, wildlife carvings, jewelry, boat models, furniture, books, and more.
This year’s exhibitors include marine wildlife master carver Dave Newcomer of North Conway, N.H., who begins with interestingly shaped pieces of wood and turns them into dolphins, whales, mermaids, and entire schools of fish. Newcomer will be providing carving demonstrations throughout the three-day show.
Mara Balodis of Florida, shown here, will have her hand-painted, nautical canvas bags.
New Arts at Navy Point artists include carver Bob Bohannon; Chesapeake workboat model maker John Raeder; photographer John Ellsworth; author and regional paddling expert Jeff Lowman; ceramic artists Sonny Fletcher, Rowe House Tiles, and Bogan Pottery; painters, Jo Houtz, Trish Doty, and Edwin L. Cook; bag maker Kelley Gravenor; and sculptor Whimsical Creations.
Other marine artists include Chesapeake Bay native, carver, and author Don Parks; naval architect and author Jay Benford, who designed the Patriot as seen in St. Michaels; chrome plating marine artist Jim Wade of Philadelphia, Pa.; and Jim Torbert, of Felton, De., with his “Land Yacht,”—a bright yellow bus that is hard to miss, carrying an extensive array of special types and sizes of rope for marine, agricultural and industrial purposes, with knotting and splicing services performed on site. Fawcett’s Boat Supplies will also be on hand to help boaters with on-site sales of merchandise and boating advice.
Ceramic artist Sonny Fletcher’s works will be among more than 60 juried artist’s nautical- and maritime-related works.
Those returning to Arts at Navy Point include carvers William Veasey, Bill Hickson, Ed Jacobs and Ed Kuhn; painters Mary Lou Troutman, Dave Murphy, and Grover Cantwell; photographers Joan Orme, Ellis Underkoffler and Joe Gruver; blacksmith Nick Vincent, model-makers Chuck Willey, John Into, and Nancy Price; boatbuilders and restorers George Hazzard, Jerry LeCompte, Joe Reid, and Will Ruhland, and canvas and sail makers Scott & Shannon Simmons.
A complete and updated list of Arts at Navy Point marine artists and craftspeople is at bit.ly/artsnavypoint17.
“Boat owners love this show because they can often source supplies found nowhere else,” commented CBC-ACBS’s John Into. “Boats and art might seem like an odd mix, until you see the beautiful mahogany and chrome boats. As you learn about what was involved in restoring them to their original condition—sometimes from unrecognizable hulks—these boats, and their restorers, can also be viewed as art and artisans, respectively.”
Joan and Michael Devaney glass art will be part of The Arts at Navy Point.
The Arts at Navy Point will be open throughout the three-day Antique & Classic Boat Festival, with exhibitors located under the big tent on CBMM’s Navy Point, as well as in the Small Boat Shed exhibition building and throughout the 18-acre Mile River waterfront campus.
CBMM’s 18-acre waterfront campus is located on what has been referred to as “Navy Point” since the mid-19th century, before seafood packing houses, bugeyes, and buyboats lined the working waterfront of St. Michaels. St. Michaels native and U.S. Navy Veteran Purser Samuel Hambleton named the area in honor of his service under Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.
Festival hours are Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Father’s Day, Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The festival includes two-day admission to all of CBMM’s special and permanent exhibitions, including the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse, where guests can climb to the top for views of the Miles River and St. Michaels harbor. The event is $5 for CBMM adult members, or $18 for adults; $15 for seniors and students with ID; and $6 for children 6-17.
Scenic river cruises aboard CBMM’s 1920 buyboat Winnie Estelle will be offered throughout the festival, with boat rides and food an additional cost. For safety reasons, non-service dogs are prohibited at CBMM festivals. Festival parking for all three days and a Saturday shuttle service are free, with CBMM a short walk to specialty shops, restaurants, inns, bed & breakfasts, and other attractions in St. Michaels’ historic district. For advanced tickets and more information, visit bit.ly/boatfestival17 or call 410-745-2916.
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