Dorchester Center for the Arts welcomes The Stephen Philip Harvey Octet to the George B. Todd Performance Hall for an evening of original jazz music on May 7, 2022. The concert will begin at 7:00 p.m.

The Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (SPH8) is a collective of eight musicians from several Mid-Atlantic jazz scenes coming together to play the original compositions and arrangements of Stephen Philip Harvey. Includes Stephen Philip Harvey on Tenor Sax; Chris Coles, Alto Sax; Tommy Lehman, Trumpet; Sam Blakeslee, Trombone; Dan Bruce, Guitar; Theron Brown, Piano; Tony DePaolis, Bass; and Dustin May, Drums. This performance is part of SPH8’s 2022 Spring Tour where they’ll be premiering music from Harvey’s newest octet suite, Elemental. The compositions from this suite are inspired by the classic elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water.

Stephen P. Harvey (1992) is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator.

As a musician and bandleader, Stephen has performed extensively in Western Pennsylvania, Northeast Ohio, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Projects under his belt include his jazz duo/trio Harvey Allen, his mid-sized jazz combo SPH8, and his large ensemble the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra. He has also performed professionally with the First Class Big Band, The Akron Symphony Big Band, The Ohio Players, The Youngstown Jazz Collective, The Big Nasty, The Black Wolf, and the Thief, The Vindy’s, The House of Leaves Band, and other musical projects.

On May 6, 2016, he released his debut album as composer and bandleader: Suite Childhood. His follow-up album, Smash!, is due to be released in June of 2022.

As a composer and arranger, Stephen has worked with a diverse array of musicians and instrumentations, composing for solo instrument to wind ensemble, jazz combo to large ensembles. It is his practice to funnel his eclectic musical background into his compositions, fusing Jazz and Classical with Popular, Funk, Hip-Hop, Rock, and Gospel.

Tickets for the concert are $20 advance, $25 at the door. Available now on Eventbrite. For additional program information and/or registration, visit DCA online at www.dorchesterarts.org or stop by 321 High Street in Cambridge. Open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Thursday noon-8:00 p.m. Programs at DCA are supported by the Maryland State Arts Council.

“The Art of Model Boat Building” will premiere in the galleries at the Dorchester Center for the Arts during the month of March. This exhibition will feature area modelers who will display and discuss their work with a focus on the art of these models, both the maritime art and decorative art aspects of boat modeling.

Individual artists will offer talks and demonstrations about modeling and models at various times throughout the exhibit. Discussed will be the ideas a modeler starts with, the materials used, the process they go through, to the final presentation. Talks may include personal stories about how their model building journey began. Why they do it. How they do it. What they hope people see in it. Explanations on what makes a “museum quality” ship model, or how to start a collection. Or even “how did you make that tiny thing?”

Participating modelers include Howard Freeman, who had a contracting business for over 30 years, retiring in 2008 and starting model work boat building to keep his mind and hands busy; Ed Harrison, who is relatively new to model boats and also enjoys carving miniature ducks and geese and modeling railroad gardens; Web Lippert, who has been building model boats as a hobby for about 15 years, and filling them with hand-crafted “deck clutter” – baskets, nets, anchors and more that helps tell the story of how the boat is used; Jim Moses, who started modeling in second or third grade, inspired by his accomplished model builder dad. Jim’s naval career put modeling on hold for twenty years until shore duty brought him to Washington, allowing day and weekend trips to the Shore that fired his course towards building working craft. Ed Thieler, retired orthopedic surgeon born and raised in Philadelphia, who became intrigued with the waterman culture after moving to the Eastern Shore twenty years ago. Ed helped rebuild the oyster dredge boat skipjack Thomas Clyde and shared dock space with oyster shaft-tongers, and trotline crabbers. As a result of his interest and research, Ed’s model boat dioramas accurately depict the historical and cultural context of the Chesapeake Bay environment.

Additional participants include Scott Todd, model yacht builder and fifth-generation Dorchester County waterman who works out of his 46′ fiberglass crab boat called Endless Summer. Scott also owns and has restored the Skipjack Lady Katie, which was first launched in 1956; and Don Willey, who grew up in Dorchester County and began building in 1980. His first was the three masted schooner P. T. White, and since then Don has built over seven hundred boat models that are on display all around the world.

Over twenty models will on exhibit, running the gamut from a diorama with tiny pieces, to small models, to robust coast guard vessels, to five-foot sailboats!

The exhibit runs from March 4-26. Second Saturday Artists’ Reception takes place on March 12 from 5:00-7:30 p.m. and will include artist talks, light refreshments, and live music with Rick Hester. This event is free, and all are welcome.

For additional program and exhibit information visit DCA online at www.dorchesterarts.org or stop by 321 High Street in Cambridge. The Center is open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Thursday noon-8:00 p.m. Programs at DCA are supported by the Maryland State Arts Council. For the latest, find us on Facebook!

Dorchester Center for the Arts kicks off a four-part literary series on Sunday November 7 with lifelong environmentalist and author/illustrator Dana Simson. From 3:00-5:00 p.m., Simson will sign and talk about her book “Come Together: Handbook to Retool for the Future.” Published by Green Writers Press, this smart action handbook is packed with accessible solutions to getting beyond plastics, fossil fuels and other harmful practices. “Come Together” addresses how to tackle areas in both your home or office to simplify, declutter and create greener, healthier spaces. The program is open to adults and youth six and up.

“When one of us retools their lifestyle to live mindfully for the future, those decisions may hit a switch in the small circle of people that surround you,” states Dana. “Small actions, paired with consistent focus to avoid single-use plastics, question polar level AC in grocery stores or overconsumption of purchases to reduce piles of product piling up at the landfill are valuable steps forward. The scientist’s calculations note to avoid overstepping disastrous tipping points we need to get to zero fossil fuel use before 2030. What are we waiting for?”

The author has written and illustrated fourteen books and will have others from her collection available as well, including “Janey Monarch Seed”- a STEAM picture book with a sweet story of how to save the Monarch butterflies, coupled with science content. Told in simple verse, the story is a gentle but lively introduction to monarch biology and ecology, emphasizing habitat needs and the role humans play as active stewards in the natural world. Dana designed this book and created the illustrations with her husband John Orth.

Additional author talks are scheduled for November 21 with Barbara Lockhart reading from “Collected Stories”; December 5 with Posey Boicourt presenting “Blue Tulip”; and December 12 with Veronica Li and Sverrir Sigurdsson sharing “Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir”. All talks are free and open to the public. Books will be available for signing.

Dorchester Center for the Arts is dedicated to enriching Maryland’s Eastern Shore community through high quality, engaging programming in the visual, literary, and performing arts. For more information on other exhibits, programs, and events at DCA, or current grant opportunities, visit www.dorchesterarts.org, call 410-228-7782, or stop by 321 High Street in Cambridge. For the latest updates, find us on Facebook!

September 26, 2021, heralds the return of the Annual Dorchester Center for the Arts Showcase event. Cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the 2021 event takes place on Sunday, September 26 from noon until 5:00 p.m. along historic High Street in downtown Cambridge, all the way to the waterfront. This art walk and street festival is DCA’s way of “Celebrating our Creative Community,” and is a family-friendly free arts event, held rain or shine. DCA will be following all current CDC guidelines for safety during the event. The generous support of the Nathan Foundation, the Maryland State Arts Council, and the staff and volunteers of DCA have helped present this event for over 40 years.

There will be four stages of music during the event, including jazz with Linda Harris, steel drums with Spark in Da Pan, guitar and vocals with Paul Harrison, a performance by singer-songwriter Kat Parsons, and more – plus dance presentations and street performers along the route. Food vendors will be offering up delectable Eastern Shore cuisine while local restaurants will be open for business. This juried event displays painting, photography, ceramics, drawing/pastel, fiber/textiles, glass, jewelry, leather, wood, metal, mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, and found object; even heritage arts such as blacksmithing. Artists and artisans travel from all over Delmarva, many returning to the event year after year, to fill this beautiful waterfront venue with creative and unique artwork for show and sale.

For more information on programs and events at DCA, or current grant opportunities, visit www.dorchesterarts.org, call 410-228-7782, or stop by 321 High Street in Cambridge. DCA is currently open Thursday noon-6:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Second Saturdays until 8:00 p.m. For the latest updates, find us on Facebook!

Throughout American history, women with diverse backgrounds and interests created inventions that changed lives every day. But women haven’t always had equal opportunities to be inventors or received as much recognition. The Smithsonian and the United States Patent and Trademark Office present “Picturing Women Inventors,” a poster exhibition that explores the inventions of 19 highly accomplished American women. Astronauts, computer pioneers, and businesswomen join athletes, engineers, and even teenagers in this remarkable group of inventors. This poster exhibition was designed to educate and inspire young people to see themselves as future inventors. The posters will be on view at DCA through September 25.

Photo: Twelve-year-old Alexis Lewis with her adaptation of a traditional Native American sled, called a travois, a creation to simplify the way to transport families and their belongings in Somalia. Photo by Michelle Fishburne, courtesy of Alexis Lewis.

“Picturing Women Inventors” showcases the breakthroughs, motivations, and challenges women encountered while pursuing their goals as inventors. The poster exhibition highlights stories of inventors like Marilyn Hamilton, who after a hang-gliding accident in 1978 left her paralyzed, invented a lightweight wheelchair that was easy to maneuver. Diversity of background and age are showcased including inventor Alexis Lewis, who at 12-years-old in 2011 was inspired to adapt a traditional Native American sled, called a travois, by adding wheels to create a simpler way to transport families and their belongings in Somalia.

“Picturing Women Inventors” is distributed to schools, libraries, museums, and community organizations by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It’s sponsored by Lyda Hill Philanthropies IF/THEN Initiative and Ericsson.

The Lemelson Center has led the study of invention and innovation at the Smithsonian since 1995. The center’s activities advance scholarship on the history of invention, share stories about inventors and their work and nurture creativity in young people. The center is supported by The Lemelson Foundation and located in the National Museum of American History.

Photo: Marilyn Hamilton on the cover of Sports ‘N Spokes magazine playing in the US Open Tennis Championship using the lightweight wheelchair she invented with two friends in 1979. Photo by Nancy Crase, courtesy of Sports ‘N Spokes

For more information on programs and events at DCA, or current grant opportunities, visit www.dorchesterarts.org, call 410-228-7782, or stop by 321 High Street in Cambridge. DCA is currently open Thursday noon-8:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Saturdays until 8:00 p.m. For the latest updates, find us on Facebook!

Dorchester Center for the Arts is pleased to announce “Plein Air Painters of the Chesapeake Bay: Shared Visions” is the featured August exhibition. Founded April 2014, Plein Air Painters of the Chesapeake Bay (PAPCB) is focused on capturing the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay region, painting on waterfront lands, in nature preserves, on working farms, and in towns and villages. An exhibit of members’ works is held annually, with a portion of the proceeds donated to local nonprofits.

Members of PACB include all levels of painters from beginners to intermediates to nationally known artists who paint in oil, pastel, watercolor, and acrylic. Membership is free – the only requirement is that artists paint with the group. As of 2021, there are 50 plus members, with about 8 to 10 attending each paint out. A small steering committee plans the paint out locations. Steering Committee Members: Katherine Quinn, Maggii Sarfaty, and Diane DuBois Mullaly.

PAPCB Exhibit History:

November 2014 – Church Alley Gallery, Easton, 11 exhibiting artists.

October 2016 – Candleberry Gallery, St. Michaels, 20 exhibiting artists.

July 2017 – Candleberry Gallery, St. Michaels, 13 exhibiting artists.

November 2017 – Pop up exhibit (3 hours), Easton Club East, the Great Chesapeake Challenge, 6 exhibiting artists.

July 2018 — Eastern Shore Conservation Center, Easton, 12 exhibiting artists.

September 2019 – Academy Art Museum First Friday Fence Show, 18 exhibiting artists.

As of press date, participants for the DCA exhibit include Cheryl Wisbrock, Diane DuBois Mullaly, Donna Finley, Jill Glassman, Jim Rehak, José Ramirez, Judith Stevens Weaver, Katie Quinn, Lori Yates, Maggii Sarfaty, Marianne Kost, Martha Pileggi, Nancy Thomas, Patti Lucas Hopkins, Rhonda Ford, Russell Reno, and Stacey Sass.

“Plein Air Painters of the Chesapeake Bay: Shared Visions” runs August 6-28. Gallery hours are Thursday noon – 6:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., and Sunday 1:00-4:00 p.m. Second Saturday Artists’ Reception will be held onsite at DCA on August 14 from 5:00-7:30 p.m.

Dorchester Center for the Arts is dedicated to enriching Maryland’s Eastern Shore community through high quality, engaging programming in the visual, literary, and performing arts. To learn more, stop by 321 High Street, call 410-228-7782 or visit online at www.dorchesterarts.org. Find us on Facebook! Programs at DCA are supported by the Maryland State Arts Council.