The Academy Art Museum is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition, Mary Cassatt: Labor and Leisure. Concurrent with this exhibition, the Museum will also feature Labor and Leisure in the Permanent Collection, which includes complementary works from AAM’s permanent collection. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, January 20 from 5:30–7:00 pm.

In conjunction with this exhibition, Robyn Asleson, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the National Portrait Gallery, will speak about Mary Cassatt’s life and works on Friday, March 31 at 6:00 pm. This program is free to the public.

“This exhibition features several of Cassatt’s best-known etchings, such as In the Omnibus and The Banjo Lesson, among other works, as well as an oil sketch and a state of a print that gives insight into the artist’s process. The title, Labor and Leisure, highlights the intertwined nature of domestic work and recreation for women of the time. Cassatt’s observations of her subjects present a full, dignified and profound picture of life in this sphere. The exhibition also gives viewers an opportunity to consider Cassatt’s diverse and changing influences throughout her career, from Impressionism to Japanese woodblock printing,” states Curator Mehves Lelic.

Mary Cassatt: Labor and Leisure 

Mary Cassatt (American, 1844-1926) is undoubtedly one of the greatest American artists in history. She has contributed subtle yet powerful and lucid observations of women’s daily lives, with a particular focus on the tender moments between mothers and their children, presenting them as artistic subjects worthy of full, nuanced consideration. Mary Cassatt: Labor and Leisure includes Cassatt’s permeating depictions of domestic labor and recreation and underlines the complex relationship between women and society in light of the worlds of, and expectations from, the women of the time.

Presenting important etchings, aquatints and oils on loan from the New York Public Library, Adelson Gallery New York, and the High Museum of Art, as well as works from the Museum’s Permanent Collection, this exhibition offers a look into Cassatt’s evolving style and influences in artmaking, from Japanese printmaking to the Impressionists, and invites viewers to consider the relationship between the women she depicts and the multi-layered societal forces at play.

Labor and Leisure in the Permanent Collection 

Accompanying Mary Cassatt: Labor and Leisure, this exhibition includes works from the Museum’s Permanent Collection that present diverse and sometimes intertwined depictions of work and play. A counterpoint to Cassatt’s delicate interpretations of labor at home and in carefully composed social settings, Labor and Leisure in the Permanent Collection seeks to inspire conversations about the staggering range of human toil and recreation and expands on the arc of these two concepts from the late 16th century to the present day. The show includes works by a wide range of artists, including Paul Cezanne, Hendrick Goltzius, David Hockney, Beth van Hoesen, Tom Miller, and Robert Rauschenberg.

Robyn Asleson: Curator of Prints and Drawings at the National Portrait Gallery 
Friday, March 31, 6 pm

Join us to hear Dr. Robyn Asleson speak about Mary Cassatt’s extraordinary life and work, touching on her take on domestic imagery and her support of women’s suffrage. Asleson will discuss many of Cassatt’s important works on view in Mary Cassatt: Labor & Leisure, including The Banjo Lesson, In the Omnibus, and Under the Horse Chestnut Tree. This lecture is part of the Kittredge-Wilson lecture series made possible by the generous support of Paul Wilson.

Robyn Asleson joined the National Portrait Gallery in 2016. Her exhibition projects at the Portrait Gallery include Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939 (2024), the team-curated Kinship (2022), and Portraits of the World (2016-20), a series of spotlight exhibitions featuring individual portraits on loan from international museums, placed in conversation with works from the Portrait Gallery collection. She was venue curator for the exhibition John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal (2020) and is currently developing an exhibition of nineteenth-century American theatrical portraits, Staging America: Theater and National Identity, 1812-1912 (2026).

In 2016, Asleson co-organized the exhibition The Lost Symphony: Whistler and the Perfection of Art at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. The exhibition built on Asleson’s many publications on the Aesthetic Movement in the United States and Great Britain, including a monograph on the influential English painter Albert Moore (2000) and her prize-winning doctoral dissertation, Classic into Modern: The Inspiration of Antiquity in English Painting,1864-1918 (1993). Asleson holds B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University.

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), Mrs. Gardner Cassatt and Her Baby Seated Near a Window, 1889, Drypoint, Samuel Putnam Avery Collection, Print Collection, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, the New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), Under the Horse-Chestnut Tree, 1896-97, Aquatint and drypoint on paper, Courtesy of Adelson Gallery
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), Baby Charles Looking Over His Mother’s Shoulder (no. 2), c. 1900, Pastel counterproof, Academy Art Museum Permanent Collection, Gift of Howard and Joanne Sorkin, 2019
Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008), Tibetan Garden Song, 1985 – 1986, Cello, Chrome-Plated Washtub, Glycerine, Chinese Scrollmaker’s Brush, Mirrored Ple, Gift of Drs. Donald and Ruth Saff in Honor of Anne and Philip Simon, 2007. Art @ Robert Rauschenberg Estate / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. Included in Labor and Leisure in the Permanent Collection

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 Fall Craft Show celebrating 25 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday-Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: Free

Currently on view at the Academy Art Museum: Earth Abides: Selections from the Permanent Collection, Cheryl Warrick: Abstract Surge and Hoesy Corona: Terrestrial Caravan.

Starting January 3, 2023, the Academy Art Museum will offer free admission to all. This is the crowning achievement in an institutional movement toward barrier-free access that started in 2021, when the Museum made most of its public programming free of charge, including book talks, artist lectures and summer programs. The Academy Art Museum joins other Maryland museums that also offer free admission, such as the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum. The Academy Art Museum is open Tuesday and Wednesday 10am to 4pm, Thursday and Friday 10am to 6pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm, and is located at 106 South Street in Easton, Maryland. Visit academyartmuseum.org for info on the newest exhibitions.

AAM Director Sarah Jesse notes, “The hidden barrier contained in an admission fee is not always how much it costs but the mental calculation – wondering how much it might be, adding it to weekly expenses. By eliminating this barrier to access, in concert with our other audience engagement efforts, we hope to foster a sense among our diverse community and beyond that AAM belongs to everyone.”

AAM provides free tours and activities to school children from the Eastern Shore and beyond.

“Carolyn Williams (Past Board Chair, 2015-2017) proposed the idea when she led the museum and we are both overjoyed that it is now possible to put this change into effect, helping to welcome our entire community to all the exciting art and arts education the museum offers,” states Cathy McCoy, Past Board Chair (2018-2021) and Emeritus Trustee.

Many museums across the country offer free weekends thanks to generous donors or corporations such as the Bank of America “Museums on Us” program. However, with a 65^th anniversary approaching in 2023 and exciting exhibitions on the horizon for the Academy Art Museum, such as Mary Cassatt: Labor & Leisure, this is the perfect time to celebrate and share these accomplishments with the community by eliminating admission fees entirely. AAM Members will continue to receive many benefits ranging from exclusive member programming to discounts on classes and museum shop purchases.

Board of Trustees Chair Nanny Trippe declares, “Art is for everyone. We want everyone to enter and feel welcome to view and enjoy all of our wonderful exhibitions all year round.”

The Academy Art Museum was founded in 1958 by a group of Eastern Shore residents who created a place dedicated to the knowledge, practice, and appreciation of the arts. Today, AAM is home to a growing collection of 19th-century, modern, and contemporary art, and transformative cultural experiences for everyone in the community including a Juneteenth celebration and an annual Craft Show.

Children enjoy the South Street lawn during AAM’s free Juneteenth Celebration.

Free admission to the Academy Art Museum is made possible by the combined generosity of individual members, friends, benefactors, and ongoing support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Talbot Arts.

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 Fall Craft Show celebrating 25 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours:  Tuesday & Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday & Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday & Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: Free

On view at the Academy Art Museum: Student Art Exhibition, Earth Abides: Selections from the Permanent Collection, Cheryl Warrick: Abstract Surge and Hoesy Corona: Terrestrial Caravan.

The Academy Art Museum is pleased to announce two new exhibitions: Earth Abides: Selections from the Collection and Cheryl Warrick: Abstract Surge.

Earth Abides: Selections from the Collection 
Open now through February 28, 2023

Kiki Smith (American, b. 1954), Healers, 2018, Etching, Purchased with funds from the Collection Society, 2019

The pandemic and ongoing climate crisis are a constant reminder that human civilization is more precarious than acknowledged. However, the fragility of existence has long been a subject of fascination for artists and is implicit in all depictions of nature.

Ansel Adams’ iconic photographs inspire awe because his subjects will outlive its admirers. Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton show landscapes altered by people, but only temporarily. The title of Kiki Smith’s etching Healers doesn’t refer to humans, but the bees that are pollinating the sphere-like bundle of dandelions that are depicted. Whether comforted or discomfited by the resilience of nature is for each viewer to decide.

Featuring works on paper from AAM’s collection by these artists, as well as Leonardo Drew, Robert Rauschenberg, Patricia Tobacco Forrester, and James Turrell, among others, this exhibition highlights the glorious trees, mountains and rolling hills that pre-date and will inevitably outlast humanity.

Patricia Tobacco Forrester (American, 1940 – 2011), Avila (Caracas), 1990, Watercolor, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Hameroff, Courtesy Steven Scott Gallery, 2011

James Turrell (American, b. 1943), Mapping Spaces (1), 1987, Photo etching, aquatint, drypoint, etching and soft-ground etching, AAM Purchase with funds from the Collection Society, 2018

Cheryl Warrick: Abstract Surge 
November 19, 2022 – February 19, 2023

Cheryl Warrick, Start of Something, 2019, acrylic & mixed media, courtesy of Dolan/Maxwell

Cheryl Warrick’s intuitive language of abstraction charts the exuberant inner worlds of both the artist and the viewer. Using acrylic and oil paint, watercolors, and pencil, the artist creates dreamy portals that nevertheless invite interpretation: a corner of a letter or number here, a seed and a sprout there. Her organic forms are enriched by her expertly crafted patterns—and in her later works—expansive painted and poured textures, as she eliminates negative space in favor of a maximalist experience.

Cheryl Warrick was born 1956, in St. Albans, New York. Warrick received a BFA in Painting at the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston. In 1996 she received a Masters in Education from Lesley College, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her work can be found in the collections of the Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Providence, RI, and the Rose Art Museum, Waltham, MA, among others. This exhibition will feature works from various stages of Warrick’s career.

Cheryl Warrick, Inside-Outside, 2018, acrylic on paper, courtesy of Dolan/Maxwell

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 Fall Craft Show celebrating 25 years. AAM also provides arts education to public and private school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours:  (starting December 5, 2022) Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (free admission), Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: $3, children under 12 free, AAM members free.

The Academy Art Museum has received a generous grant from Art Bridges Foundation to offer free public programs centered on Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s monumental artwork I Refuse to be Invisible featured in the current exhibition, Fickle Mirror: Dialogues in Self-Portraiture. Art Bridges funded the expenses associated with shipping Crosby’s work from its collection based in Arkansas to Easton, as well as a series of educational programs that help audiences engage with the ideas in the work.

The improvisational, interactive concert features acclaimed musicians from the region—Kentavius Jones, Jordan Stanley, and Ian Trusheim—and will also serve as a closing celebration for Fickle Mirror: Dialogues in Self-Portraiture, which closes on October 11. To reserve your spot at this concert, please register in advance at academyartmuseum.org.

Kentavius Jones, Jordan Stanley and Ian Trusheim

I Refuse to Be Invisible: An Improvisational Concert
Saturday, October 8, 6 pm

Join the Academy Art Museum for a special Fickle Mirror: Dialogues in Self-Portraiture closing reception concert featuring Kentavius Jones (voice, guitar), Jordon Stanley (drums, spoken word) and Ian Trusheim (bass.) The dynamic trio will perform an interactive, improvisational response to artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s work, I Refuse to Be Invisible, on view as part of the Museum’s Fickle Mirror exhibition and on loan from Art Bridges. Audience members will be invited to join on percussion and contribute written responses inspired by the work. Don’t miss the chance to see our community’s most exciting ensemble perform live!

AAM has already presented two Art Bridges-funded programs inspired by Crosby’s work: Travelers: A Book Talk with Helon Habila and Matthew Davis on September 9, and Who Am I? Identity Silhouettes: A Family Art Making Project on Saturday, September 24.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Art Bridges to share Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s important work with our visitors. I deeply admire the vision of the Foundation to disseminate great artworks to rural areas and fund educational programs that help audiences engage with the ideas explored in the work,” AAM Director Sarah Jesse said. “Art Bridges and AAM share a mission to provide everyone with access to art and a belief in the power of art to transform communities, so it is a natural partnership.”

About Art Bridges

Art Bridges is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. The mission of Art Bridges is to expand access to American art in all regions across the United States. Since 2017, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of nearly 170 museums of all sizes and locations to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges collection, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices.

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 Fall Craft Show celebrating 25 years. AAM also provides arts education to public and private school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours:  Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (free admission), Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: $3, children under 12 free, AAM members free.

Paintings by PAPCB members Maggii Sarfaty, top, Diane DuBois Mullaly, bottom left, and Kate Quinn, bottom right.

The Plein Air Painters of the Chesapeake Bay (PAPCB) and the Academy Art Museum’s “Saturdays en Plein Air” painters are pleased to invite the public to an outdoor Fence Show and Sale of recent Plein Air works on Saturday October 8, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Academy Art Museum, 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland. Participating artists include Naomi Clark-Turner, Pasquale DiIulio, Mary Ford, Doris Gerlach, Helena Grady, Jennifer Harvey, Anne Allbeury Hock, Michael Iandolo, Diane DuBois Mullaly, Martha Pileggi, Kate Quinn, Russell Reno, Catherine Renzi, Maggii Sarfaty, Stacey Sass, William Schulze, Sheryl Southwick, Gail Stern and Diane Stoecker.

Stop by to meet and greet the artists, buy art, and enjoy the Academy Art Museum galleries. A portion of proceeds from this sale of paintings will be donated to the museum.

In the event of rain this show and sale will occur inside the museum.

PLEIN AIR PAINTERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY (PAPCB) started in April 2014 with four local artists painting outdoors together on Tuesdays. Now with over 50 members, from beginning artists to well-known award winners, PAPCB has annual exhibits and organizes plein air paint outs every Tuesday; mid-March thru June, and September thru mid-November. Each concludes with a critique. All levels of painters in all mediums are welcome. Membership is free, the only requirement is to attend the paint outs and paint! For more information please contact Kate Quinn, [email protected].

THE ACADEMY ART MUSEUM’S “SATURDAYS EN PLEIN AIR” PAINTERS are a group of Academy Members who paint together the last Saturday of the month April through October, en plein air, at beautiful and interesting Mid-Shore locations. Organized and mentored by instructor Diane DuBois Mullaly, each paint out concludes with a critique. This event is a free perk for Academy membership. For more information about this and all Academy Art Museum offerings, please visit academyartmuseum.org.

Artist rendering of Terrestrial Caravan installation in the Museum’s Saul Atrium Gallery

Academy Art Museum Exhibition by Hoesy Corona Explores Climate Migration
September 23, 2022 – August 31, 2023
Artist Talk: Friday, September 23, 5:30 pm

The Academy Art Museum is pleased to announce its new exhibition Hoesy Corona: Terrestrial Caravan with an Artist Talk on Friday, September 23 at 5:30 pm. Baltimore-based artist Hoesy Corona will transform the Museum’s Saul Atrium Gallery with site-specific vignettes that each picture a character journeying from a land made uninhabitable by global warming. The immersive, large-scale installation also features Corona’s Climate Ponchos, which double as wearable sculptures: while their form recalls a simple rain poncho, the dynamic patterns on them tell stories of migration, displacement, and history.

Hoesy Corona’s work highlights the complex relationship between humans and the environment by focusing on our changing climate and its impact on habitation and migration patterns. Using the archetype of the traveler, who is seen holding suitcases and voyaging through a wide array of landscapes towards a better place, Corona tackles the reality of the human aspect of climate change while celebrating the lushness and vibrancy of flora, bodies of water, and geographic forms, and bringing attention to the multitudinous powers of nature.

The museum’s location on Easton Shore of Maryland provides a relevant geographical context for this project. Through Corona’s anonymized portrayals of climate refugees, the exhibition connects the experiences of diverse people all over the planet, including Eastern Shore residents who experience firsthand the chronic flooding, warming temperatures, and disappearing communities spurred by climate change.

The 2022-2023 Atrium Commission is generously supported by Donna and Jim Alpi, Carol Gordean, Joseph and Alzbetka Robillard, and Mary Ann Schindler.

Hoesy Corona 

About Hoesy Corona 

Baltimore-based artist Hoesy Corona creates work across a variety of media spanning installation, performance, and video. He develops otherworldly narratives centering marginalized individuals in society by exploring a process-based practice that investigates what it means to be a queer Latinx immigrant in a place where there are few. He choreographs large scale performances and installations that oftentimes silently confront and delight viewers with some of the most pressing issues of our time. Reoccurring themes of queerness, race/class/gender, nature, isolation, celebration, and the climate crisis are present throughout his work. Corona has been on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Kreeger Museum, Peale Museum, and the Walters Art Museum, among other institutions. His recent honors include an Andy Warhol Foundation Grit Fund Grant in Visual Arts and a Robert W. Deutsch Foundation Ruby’s Project Grant in Visual Arts in 2016.

Hoesy Corona, Earth Mother Bloom, 2022, industrial, weatherproof vinyl

Artist rendering of Terrestrial Caravan installation in the Museum’s Saul Atrium Gallery

Artist rendering of Terrestrial Caravan installation in the Museum’s Saul Atrium Gallery

Artist rendering of Terrestrial Caravan installation in the Museum’s Saul Atrium Gallery

About the AAM Atrium Commission Project 

The AAM Atrium Commission Project began in 2021 with Baltimore based artist Zoe Friedman. Her exhibition, Sentient Forest was the inaugural site-specific artist commission for the Museum’s recently renovated Tricia and Frank Saul Atrium Gallery. The 2022-2023 Atrium Commission, Hoesy Corona: Terrestrial Caravan is generously supported by Donna and Jim Alpi, Carol Gordean, Joseph and Alzbetka Robillard, and Mary Ann Schindler.

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 Fall Craft Show celebrating 25 years. AAM also provides arts education to public and private school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours:  Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (free admission), Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: $3, children under 12 free, AAM members free.

This year’s 25th annual Academy Art Museum Craft Show, will be held on October 22 & 23 with a Preview Event on October 21. The show will feature 60 juried exhibitors, including established artists, returning favorites from years past and more than 28 artists new to the show. Participating artists create work in all media including Basketry, Ceramics, Fiber – Decorative, Fiber – Wearable, Furniture, Glass, Jewelry, Metal, Mixed Media, Sculpture and Wood.

This year’s featured artist, Sean Donlon, takes glass manipulation to a new level with his signature teapot series. Donlon uses this familiar form to make both individual objects, and also as elements for larger sculptural wall pieces. Fabricated primarily in mirrored glass, these inanimate glass sculptures become vibrant and alive when they interact with the light and colors in their surrounding environment. Donlon earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Craft and Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and has traveled all over the United States and internationally to Lauscha, Germany and Murano, Italy to study lost techniques in glass. He recently received the Smithsonian’s New Direction – Excellence in Design of the Future award and his work has been exhibited the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, the Chrysler Museum, and several galleries throughout the United States.

Craft Show Chair Diz Hormel states “We are thrilled to showcase this year’s featured artist Sean Donlon and share his dynamic and innovative glasswork with our Craft Show patrons.”

“We are celebrating a big milestone for our Craft Show, and we have some special programming to commemorate this significant event,” says Jennifer Chrzanowski, Director of Communications and Audience Development.

Tickets for the Craft Show Preview Event will go on sale online on September 15, which will be held from 5:30 – 8:00 pm on Friday, October 21. The party will feature a meet-and-greet with Featured Artist Sean Donlon, as well as food and libations located throughout the show. The ticket price for the evening is $175 per person and allows the ticket holder unlimited re-entry to the show on Saturday and Sunday.

The hours for the Craft Show are 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday, October 22, and 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Sunday, October 23. Patrons will be able to vote for their favorite artist for the Craft Show People’s Choice Award which will be given on Sunday morning to the artist with the most votes. Live glass blowing demonstrations from Valencia Glass will be featured daily. There is also a free family craft project on Sunday from 12:00 – 3:00pm. Admission to the Craft Show is $10 per person which includes a Craft Show tote bag. Tickets can be purchased online at academycraftshow.com or at the door.

For those interested in Sponsoring the Craft Show, please contact the Museum. All proceeds from fees, ticket sales and generous community sponsorships directly support the Museum’s mission of providing meaningful art experiences and education to the Mid-Shore.

AAM Craft Show Featured Artist Sean Donlon

Sean Donlon, Tipsy, 2018, glass: featured in American Craft Magazine

Sean Donlon, Cube, 2020, glass: featured in Home & Design Magazine

View of the Craft Show in the Easton Armory

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 Fall Craft Show celebrating 25 years. AAM also provides arts education to public and private school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours:  Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (free admission), Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: $3, children under 12 free, AAM members free.

The Academy Art Museum recently announced five new trustees who have been appointed to the Board: Brenda Fike, Shelton Hawkins, Chris Sadler, Paige R. Tilghman, and Chris Walsh. Catherine Collins McCoy has been named Emeritus Trustee. Three trustees have completed their terms: Peter Gallagher, Kentavius Jones, and Julie Madden.

Brenda Fike owns and operates the Easton advertising business Bay Imprint with her husband Scott, where they sponsor dozens of Mid-Shore community programs and cultural events. She volunteers as a youth mentor for Talbot Mentors and has been an officer of its Board of Directors. Previously, Brenda taught art and art history at Towson University, and served as Media Specialist for the White House Historical Association. She holds an MFA in Studio Art from Towson University and is a Shore Leadership alum.

Photo: AAM celebrates new Board of Trustee Members and retiring members. Left to right: Kentavius Jones (retiring member), Director Sarah Jesse, Emeritus Trustee Catherine Collins McCoy, Board Chair Nanny Trippe, and new board members Brenda Fike, Paige R. Tilghman and Chris Walsh.

Shelton Hawkins is an art teacher in Charles County, Maryland during the week, and in the evening and on weekends, he uses art to bring communities together around social issues. He spent a year in Barcelona, Spain, where he coached youth basketball for Nike. While in Barcelona, he learned about “Destination Art” basketball courts – which uses public courts to strengthen communities through art. He returned to Maryland and started the project “Play in Color,” making Easton the first community in Maryland to have two “Destination Art” basketball courts in one town. “Play in Color” is not his only community-based art project – he was one of 20 creative participants in a Converse brand COVID-19 support campaign; he has designed t-shirts in support of educators, protestors, and essential workers; and worked with local ice cream parlor Storm & Daughters to create flavors to honor local teachers and their work through the pandemic. He was recently recognized by the Maryland State Art Council and asked to speak on how he has turned his multi-dimensional art projects into community action. Shelton resides in Easton and, along with his many other accomplishments, is the Men’s Basketball Special Assistant at UMES.

Chris Sadler is a serial entrepreneur and businessman. Born in Nice, France while his father was serving in the United States Navy, he grew up in and around New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in Economics and an MBA in Finance. Chris’s career started in Houston, Texas with Prudential Insurance Company as a Pension Fund Advisor specializing in commercial real estate. His corporate career took him to New York and London before he struck out on his own in the 1990’s. He formed Oxford Commercial in partnership with Ray Stevens to address commercial real estate on the Eastern Shore – a market underserved at the time. Chris divides his time between Farmville, VA where he still has a large farm and two breweries in the area, as well as a business in Richmond with his brother, and Easton, MD with his wife Jackie and daughter Katherine.

A native of California, Paige R. Tilghman moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1982 and has spent most of her professional career in business and economic development. She has managed regional and county economic development offices for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, Talbot County, Queen Anne’s County and the Town of Centreville. Early work experience at Chesapeake College in contract business and workforce training sparked her interest in this work. Affiliations while working in this capacity included: 25 years as an evaluator for the University of Maryland Industrial Partnerships; an active membership with Regional Councils, Chambers of Commerce, and a graduate of Shore Leadership Class of 2000. Paige completed a Masters of Science in Technology Management from University of Maryland, University College; and a BA&S, Speech and Drama, from Catholic University of America. Currently, Paige operates Earle’s Cove Trading Company, an art and antique store located in Centreville. She serves as President of the Centreville Rotary Club, is a member of the Queen Anne’s County Garden Club, and a member of the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage, Central Committee. She has been an active member of the Third Haven Friends, in Easton since 1984. She resides in Centreville with her husband Ben.

Chris Walsh has 35 years’ experience successfully designing, selling, and implementing health care programs. He holds a Health Management MS from American University and a BA from Georgetown University. In 1990, Chris founded Arlington Associates, Inc. and spent 15 years as a corporate officer with two public healthcare companies, Coventry Health Care and CorVel Corporation. In addition, Walsh has written about industry topics for WorkCompWire.com and Insurance Today. He’s been a trusted resource for investment and private equity firms seeking a better understanding of healthcare dynamics and future trends. A resident of Talbot County since 2005, Chris is an avid hiker, cyclist, and rower. He currently serves as board President and Treasurer for Freedom Rowers, a non-profit Mid-Shore junior rowing team based on Port Street in Easton. His wife, Meg, is a professional artist who exhibits throughout the Mid-Atlantic and teaches at the Academy Art Museum.

Catherine “Cathy” Collins McCoy served on the Museum’s board from 2015-2021 and as Board Chair for four years during her tenure.

Director Sarah Jesse commented, “We’re thrilled to welcome this cohort of civic leaders to the team. It’s an exciting time for the Museum. I know Brenda, Chris S., Chris W., Paige, and Shelton will help us advance our goal of creating a more creative and connected community through exposure to the arts.”

Departing the museum’s Board of Trustees are Peter Gallagher, Kentavius Jones, and Julie Madden. “We are deeply grateful to Julie, KJ, and Peter for their years of dedicated service on the Board. I will greatly miss working with them but know they will continue to stay involved in the Museum and support our important work.” Board Chair Nanny Trippe said.

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 Fall Craft Show. AAM also provides arts education to public and private school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours:  Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (free admission), Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: $3, children under 12 free, AAM members free.