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October 2, 2023

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

Commerce

MDA Reminds Marylanders to Expect Increase in Low-Flying Planes Due to Cover Crop Planting

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The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is reminding citizens in rural areas to expect an increase in low-flying airplanes or helicopters through Oct. 10, 2022 due to aerial seeding of small grains. Farmers enrolled in Maryland’s Cover Crop Program use this method of seeding in their fields to help protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. 

“Maryland’s Cover Crop Program is our most popular conservation practice,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “In the fall, participating farmers plant wheat, rye, and other small grains on newly harvested fields to recover any leftover nutrients from summer crops. This helps protect water quality in local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay while building and maintaining soil health. People living in rural Maryland should expect an increase in low-flying aircraft over the next several weeks while seeding occurs.”

Farmers enrolled in the Cover Crop Program may plant small grains and other qualifying species by incorporating seeds into newly harvested fields or aerially seeding them into standing corn, soybeans, or sorghum. Once established, cover crops work all winter long to provide a living, protective cover against erosion and nutrient runoff while building the soil’s organic matter for the next year’s crop. No pesticides or fertilizers are applied to cover crops. For aerial seeding, small planes will take off from local airports serving the county or region.

Maryland’s Cover Crop Program is funded by the Bay Restoration Fund and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. The program is administered by MDA and the state’s 24 soil conservation districts through the Conservation Grants Program. For more information, please contact your local soil conservation district. 

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

One Mission Cambridge Celebrates First Anniversary

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One Mission Cambridge recently celebrated its first anniversary with a picnic at its location at 614 Race Street in Cambridge. Over 100 people came to the event which provided food and drink.

According to Krista Pettit, Director of One Mission Cambridge, the organization served a record number of clients in the last two months. In May and June, One Mission Cambridge Center served 710 different individuals, supporting 1673 people, including 533 children, 772 adults, and 368 seniors.

“After one year, the news has spread about our services. Our location has proved ideal to serve some of the community’s most vulnerable populations. One Mission Cambridge is about the Body of Christ working together – combining resources and people. This past year, our churches have come together in supporting our combined missions of loving God and loving our neighbors.  All Christian Churches are invited to participate in what we are doing,” she states.

One Mission Cambridge recently celebrated its first anniversary with a picnic at its location at 614 Race Street in Cambridge.

To date, One Mission Cambridge provides quality programs, including a food pantry, community navigation, community dinners, and counseling services.

Resident Terry of Cambridge, comments about One Mission Cambridge’s food pantry, “It’s so nice to be able to pick out what you want like the grocery store. I hate to throw away food because often somebody else with kids could use it. I also participated in a Bible Study they have during the day and have also met a lot of new friends at the community dinner. One Mission Cambridge is helping a lot of people.”

Another client of the nonprofit, Brenda of Cambridge, shares, “I am getting less from the grocery store at the end of the month because of inflation and my food stamps don’t get me through anymore. One Mission Cambridge is located in the right spot for the people who need it.”

For other clients, some who own their own homes, using the resources of One Mission Cambridge means being able to make ends meet to be able to stay in their homes. Married couple Ray and Pat of Cambridge are living on limited income due to disabilities. The couple even thought of selling their house to be able to pay their bills.

“This place has been such a blessing to us. We attend the community dinner once a month and shop at the food pantry beforehand where we can shop for our own food items. We even try to give back by giving other clients rides home,” states Ray.

“The older you get, there are not as many resources to help you. We are forever grateful,” adds his wife Pat.

One Mission Cambridge is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 1 to 6 p.m. for services. For additional information visit onemissioncambridge.org, Facebook, and Instagram, or call 410-901-3959. For further information about donating to One Mission Cambridge, contact Krista Pettit at 443-521-6825. Donations can be made to One Mission Cambridge, P.O. Box 815, Cambridge, MD 21613.

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

Academy Art Museum Announces New Exhibitions

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The Academy Art Museum is pleased to announce three new exhibitions: Spatial Reckoning: Morandi, Picasso and Villon, 2023 Artist in Residence Laura Letinsky, and Amy Boone-McCreesh: Visual Currency. An opening reception for all three exhibitions and an artist talk with Letinksy will be held on Thursday, August 3 at 5:30 pm.

“Our latest slate of exhibitions—thoughtfully conceived and organized by curator Mehves Lelic—showcase diverse forms of creative expression, from the quiet still life paintings of modernist master Giorgio Morandi to the maximalist mixed media works of contemporary artist Amy Boone-McCreesh. At any given time at the Museum, we want our visitors to experience a wide range of artworks across art history, get inspired, and encounter new ideas—the new shows deliver on our goal,” commented Director Sarah Jesse.

“Our Artist-in-Residence Program is now in its fifth year, and it has given us incredible opportunities to bring artists here to the Eastern Shore to produce work at the Museum and engage with our community. Laura Letinsky’s seminal work questions what a photograph is through intricate yet quiet still lifes. This question resonates deeply with many of us due to the ubiquity of images and cameras in today’s world. We are looking forward to our visitors reflecting on this question through Letinsky’s moving work,” notes Curator Mehves Lelic.

“Letinsky will also produce a limited-edition print for our Emerging Collectors Circle members,” Lelic continues. “This group of art appreciators come together throughout the year for studio visits and fair trips, and their dues support free public programming at the Museum. I am excited to see the piece Letinsky will make here in her studio at the Museum!”

Spatial Reckoning: Morandi, Picasso and Villon
August 1 – October 22, 2023

This exhibition charts the myriad ways in which three prolific European artists used space and perspective as gateways to modern abstraction in the 20th century. Building on—and later breaking canonical rules of—perspective, spatial composition, and ratio, Jacques Villon (French, 1875 – 1963), Giorgio Morandi (Italian, 1890 – 1964), and Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881 – 1973), created works that evoked spirituality and emotion and slowly frayed the knot between reality and artistic representation. The resulting depictions of figures and still lifes helped define these artists as pioneers of a trailblazing aesthetic and inspired new frontiers in art, from Modernism and Cubism to Expressionism.

AAM is grateful to the Cincinnati Art Museum, National Gallery of Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Christian Keesee Art Collection, and Conrad Graeber Fine Art for their generous loans of artwork.

Giorgio Morandi (Italian, 1890-1964), Still Life, c. 1955, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lenart in honor of Rusty and Nancy Powell, 1997.112.1

2023 Artist in Residence Laura Letinsky
August 1 – October 22, 2023

Laura Letinsky (Canadian, b. 1962, lives and works in Chicago) is a lens-based artist whose still lifes have transformed the medium in the 20th century. Inserting the aftermath and the human presence into her layered, symbolically-charged still lifes, Letinsky interrogates both the meaning of domestic space and women’s role in it, and the indexical and representational power of photographs. Letinsky is a Guggenheim Fellow, and her work is held in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum; the Getty Museum; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; and the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and has been exhibited internationally.

Letinsky will present a masterclass during her residency in August 2023 on how the camera shapes our understanding of the world.

The Artist in Residence program is generously supported by Mary Ann Schindler.

Laura Letinsky (Canadian, b. 1962), Untitled #9a (diptych), from the series To Say It Isn’t So, 2006, chromogenic print, courtesy of the Artist and Yancey Richardson Gallery

Amy Boone-McCreesh: Visual Currency
July 28 – November 5, 2023

Baltimore-based artist Amy Boone-McCreesh works in sculpture, collage, and mixed media to present colorful, maximalist takes on luxury and access. Critiquing preconceived notions of adornment and decoration, especially as they relate to interior space, and reconstructing imagined interiors in a brightly colored and explosive manner, Boone-McCreesh points to the arbitrariness of taste and opens a door to imagining how else our collective understanding of exclusivity and poshness might manifest. Her brand of luxury speaks the language of abundance and is derived from distinctly unrarefied materials: wall paint, acrylic, paper, and beads are just some examples. The result is a blossoming world of excitement that flaunts the language of high fashion and design of our time.

Boone-McCreesh received her MFA from Towson University in Maryland and shortly thereafter was awarded a two-year Hamiltonian Artist Fellowship in Washington, DC. Her work has been included in exhibitions across the country and she is a two-time recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award.

Amy Boone-McCreesh (American, b. 1985), Access to Beauty II, 2021, mixed media and collage on paper, courtesy of the Artist

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 26 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday-Friday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: Free

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UM Chester River Health Foundation Hosts Blood Drive Amidst Blood Shortage

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The Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) has declared a severe blood shortage and is asking people across the region to donate blood to help replenish blood supplies.

The UM Chester River Health Foundation (CRHF), a Kent County based affiliate of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, is answering the call by holding a blood drive on Friday, August 25, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown Conference Center. Donors should use the hospital’s main entrance and request directions to the Conference Center at the front desk; the blood draws will take place in BBD’s mobile van in the parking lot. The goal is to collect a minimum of 40 pints of all types of blood, including double red cells.

“Our second goal is to collect at least 10 pints of O negative blood, said Maryann Ruehrmund, Executive Director, UM CRHF. “This type is in the highest demand because it can be given to anyone.”

According to Blood Bank of Delmarva officials, it takes at least 380 donors per day to supply the 19 local hospitals throughout the Delmarva Peninsula with the blood they need. To maintain a safe blood supply, a seven-day inventory of all blood types must be continually replenished. Right now, the available inventory is at just three days for the core four blood types, i.e. O positive, O negative, A negative and B negative.

These low levels are particularly dangerous in the summer months, when people are less likely to donate blood due to vacations.

According to national blood banking statistics, 38 percent of the American population is eligible to give blood but only 3 percent actually donates. If every eligible blood donor gave at least twice a year, there would never be a blood shortage.

To donate blood donors must:

  • be between the ages of 17 and 79 years old and have a photo ID with proof of birth date.
  • weigh at least 110 pounds.
  • be in general good health.
  • adhere to piercing and tattoo guidelines. Donors are ineligible if they have received a tattoo, body piercing, or branding within the past 12 months.

Make an appointment today by visiting donate.bbd.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/9168 or by calling the Delmarva Blood Bank at 1-888-825-6638. (If calling the DBB directly, donors should indicate their donation is for the Chester River Health Foundation Blood Drive.) Donors can also download the scheduling app to register from an Android or iPhone.

If you have traveled outside of the United States recently, please call the Blood Bank for more information on your eligibility to donate blood. If you had an initial positive COVID-19 test more than 10 days ago and your symptoms are resolving, you are eligible to donate.

About UM Chester River Health Foundation

The Chester River Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Maryland corporation and the fiduciary responsible for soliciting, holding and disbursing charitable gifts that support excellence in patient care services exclusively at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Contributions fund the purchase of new and replacement medical equipment and technology, capital projects and scholarships for advanced health care education. The Foundation offers a complete array of philanthropy programs, from soliciting annual gifts through assistance with estate and legacy gift planning.

About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,200 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

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

Library Launches Free Community Wi-Fi Center in Trappe

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Talbot County Free Library (TCFL) has created a free Community Wi-Fi Center at Home Run Baker Park in Trappe, MD, providing access to high-speed internet for Talbot County students and residents.

The project was made possible thanks to TCFL’s partnership with the Talbot Parks and Recreation, and the Maryland State Library.

“We want to thank Preston Peper, Director of Talbot Parks and Recreation and Brian Moore, Superintendent of Roads and County Facilities for Talbot County Government, and the Town of Trappe for helping to make this project possible,” said Talbot County Free Library Director Dana Newman. “The Trappe Community Wi-Fi Center meets our library’s strategic direction to develop and expand library services to build strong connections in our community.”

There are two access points for Wi-Fi at the Home Run Baker Park, one at the Concession Stand and one in the parking lot. There are two ways to access internet:

Home Run Baker            Open. No password required.

Home Run Baker Secure     Encrypted. Password: hrb-wpa2

This project was funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Maryland State Library. For more information, visit www.tcfl.org.

About Talbot County Free Library

It is the mission of the Talbot County Free Library to enrich and renew the lives of the people it serves. There are two locations: The main library in Easton is located at 100 W. Dover St.; and the St. Michael branch is at 106 Fremont St. The Maryland Room in the Easton branch holds a voluminous collection of genealogical resources and historical documents. Services at both locations include the circulation of books, DVDs, and digital devices, as well as free Wi-Fi, public computers, exhibits, and programs for both children and adults. Many of the Talbot County Free Library’s programs are made possible by the generous support of the local community.  For more information, please visit www.tcfl.org. Be sure to like the library on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @Talbotcountyfreelibrary.

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

Adkins Arboretum Receives AAD Grant for Shade Structure

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Adkins Arboretum has been awarded a Shade Structure Grant from the American Academy of Dermatology. The grant enabled construction of a permanent shade sail over the Arboretum’s multiuse Visitor’s Center patio that will protect more than 2,300 children and 30,000 visitors annually from harmful ultraviolet exposure, even during the sunniest summer months.

“The Arboretum is grateful for this critical funding from the American Academy of Dermatology,” said Executive Director Ginna Tiernan. “While the Arboretum’s woodland paths and covered pavilion provide shade, the Visitor’s Center holds particular appeal as a programming and gathering space. A shade structure in this high-traffic area benefits a significant number of students and visitors.”

Adkins Arboretum received funding from the American Academy of Dermatologists to install a permanent shade sail on its multiuse Visitor’s Center patio.

Shore Industries of Preston designed and manufactured the shade sail and installed the structure in late spring, just in time to welcome nearly 300 guests and 26 musicians to Forest Music and dozens of children to the Arboretum’s Summer Nature Camps. As an Arboretum sponsor, Shore Industries also provided in-kind services that allowed the project to stay within the parameters of the grant award.

With a membership of more than 20,000 physicians worldwide, the AAD is committed to diagnosis and treatment; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails. Since its launch in 2000, the AAD’s Shade Structure Grant Program has awarded funding for more than 450 shade structures that provide shade for more than 3.5 million individuals each day.

Adkins Arboretum, a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County, provides exceptional experiences in nature to promote environmental stewardship. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org.

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Easton Utilities Promotes Paula Taylor

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Easton Utilities named Paula Taylor as the Manager of Customer Services, a new position for the organization. With over 23 years of experience in customer service and collections for the utilities sector, she will oversee the Customer Service, Billing and Collection employees. “I look forward to this exciting challenge and am committed to ensuring our customers continue to receive the best, most efficient customer service from all employees based on our core values of integrity, commitment and excellence,” states Taylor.

Paula joined Easton Utilities in 2014 as the Credit and Collections Specialist and was promoted to Supervisor of Billing and Collections in 2017. Her responsibilities included providing accurate billing information and collection procedures while remaining in compliance with the Maryland Public Service Commission’s rules and regulations. Prior to joining Easton Utilities, Paula was the Collection & Energy Assistance Administrator for Choptank Electric.

“Paula’s dedication to serving our customers combined with her leadership skills and compassion, highlighted her as a perfect candidate for this role,” says Tracie Thomas, Vice President of Customer Services for Easton Utilities.

Paula is actively involved with work in her local church.  She also enjoys helping others find a passion in the work they do each day through coaching and inspiration. Paula is a native of Talbot County and currently resides in East New Market with her husband of 26 years.

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Visit eastonutilities.com for more information.

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

Choptank Health Hosts Groundbreaking for New Federalsburg Health Center

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Choptank Community Health System brought together elected officials, community leaders, staff, partners, and residents for a July 13 groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction of its new health center at 320 Hargraves Dr.  The new Federalsburg Health Center will be replacing Choptank Health’s current location on Bloomingdale Ave.

Remarks were given by Choptank Health Board of Directors Chair Sara Visintainer and Member Wayne Cole, followed by Choptank Health President and CEO Sara Rich.

Photo: From left: Federalsburg Mayor Kimberly Abner, Federalsburg Council Member Debi Sewell, Federalsburg Council Member Ed Windsor, Choptank Health President, and CEOSara Rich, Federalsburg Council Member Scott Phillip, Federalsburg Interim Town Manager Kristy Marshall, and Federalsburg Planning & Zoning Chairperson Mercedes Moyer.

Rich thanked Visintainer and Cole for their remarks and welcomed local, county, state, and federal elected officials along with staff to the event.

“Choptank Health has been providing health care to the residents of Federalsburg since 1992,” said Rich. “Now, we annually see more than 5,000 medical, dental, and behavioral health patients in just 7,400 square feet of space.”

Anticipated to open in the summer of 2024, the new Federalsburg Health Center includes more than 21,000 square feet of space. The new center will include five dedicated wings to deliver medical, dental, and behavioral health services, giving Choptank Health the space needed to meet the healthcare needs of more patients.

The new site will also house Choptank Health’sPhysician Rural Residency Program—presented in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, along with a dental residency program and the development of Choptank Health’s pediatric dental residency program with longstanding partner NYU Langone.

“Our residency program draws medical and dental students from throughout the Mid-Atlantic and is a vital resource for connecting residents with our providers and patients,” says Rich. “We’re very much looking forward to having dedicated space in Federalsburg to help grow our residency program while providing more accessibility to healthcare for all.”

Rich also gave a special thanks to the Town of Federalsburg, Caroline County, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Maryland Governor’s capital budget for funding to help make this new facility possible.

“Community is our middle name for a reason—because it takes the strong support of our community, our partners, and our funders to help make this state-of-art new health center possible,” Rich says. “When construction is complete, the people of Federalsburg and the surrounding areas will have one of the most modern healthcare facilities in the region.”

Choptank Community Health System announced plans for the new Federalsburg Health Center in 2021, after purchasing land for the new facility at 320 Hargraves Dr. with Caroline County Economic Development instrumental in helping to identify the land for the new Federalsburg Health Center. Harper & Sons, Inc. of Easton is the general contractor, with architectural and engineering firm George, Miles & Buhr, LLC of Salisbury charged with the new facility’s design.

Photo: From left: Caroline County Commissioner Frank Bartz, Delegate Tom Hutchinson, District 37B, Caroline County Commission Vice President Larry Porter, Choptank Health Board of Directors Savannah Winston, Choptank Health Board of Directors Wayne Cole, Choptank Health President & CEO Sara Rich, Choptank Health Board of Directors Chair Sara Visintainer, Choptank Health Board of Directors Austin Webster, Caroline County Commission President J. Travis Breeding, and Caroline County Economic Development Director Debbie Bowden.

The event wrapped up with the official groundbreaking, with shovels placed in the ground by Choptank Health team members, elected officials, and representatives from Harper & Sons, Inc., and George, Miles & Buhr.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical, dental, and School-Based health services to more than 30,000 adults and children in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all. Medical services include primary healthcare, women’s health, pediatrics, behavioral health, chronic health management, and care navigation, with new medical patients now being accepted. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org.

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For All Seasons Partners with Plein Air Easton to Address Mental Health at This Year’s Festival

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L-R: Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons, and Jessica Bellis, CFO and COO of the Avalon Foundation.

It always starts on the hottest day of the year. Plein Air Easton 2023, one of the most prestigious and largest Plein Air festivals in the U.S. today, welcomed fifty-eight artists to enter a grueling 10-day competition filled with challenging landscapes, climate, and stress. This year, the festival will add an additional benefit for artists, visitors, staff, and volunteers at this year’s events.  While the Avalon Foundation has always focused on the physical health of its participants in the heat of summer, this year, through a partnership with For All Seasons, the organization will focus on the stress of the competition and the importance of mental health and wellness.

“For 20 years, we have been providing our competing artists with all kinds of information, instruction, and access to medical professionals around heat and hydration and around Lyme disease and ticks. While we’ve been focused on their health, not once have we stopped and thought about their mental health,” comments Jessica Bellis, CFO and COO of the Avalon Foundation.

“Plein Air Easton is the like the Masters in golf. There is a lot of money and fame that is connected to your performance during the 10 days. We remove these artists from all of their support networks and systems and drop them in really harsh conditions. If we’re creating a situation that is going to be high stress, then it should be our responsibility to provide additional supports. And you know, this is how we both eliminate the stigma associated with a mental health crisis.”

For All Seasons, the region’s behavioral health and rape crisis center, and the Avalon have partnered a lot over the last 18 months for several events providing educational programming for the community on a variety of mental health topics, from anxiety and emotional burnout to suicide prevention.

“This partnership with the Avalon Foundation is the way that grassroots community outreach should be working. We aren’t just presenting these programs to the community, we are presenting these programs to the Avalon staff, so they by nature are also getting the mental wellness messages.  Having us present programming about how mental health affects us all gave them an opportunity to think about the mental health component in this huge Plein Air ‘Olympics’ so to speak,” comments Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about better self-care practices, how can we reset our organizational culture to think about mental health more. And as we started kind of getting ready for Plein Air Easton, we were talking about different educational content that we have provided,” adds Bellis.

“We started looking back on Plein Air Easton and we have had people drop out of the competition midway from stress. We’ve had artists give up their positions because they are having a high-stress time in their lives. We have lost artists to drug addiction, suicide, and major health issues. We have had people who participated in our competition while undergoing cancer treatments. And we’re not talking about mental health. Shame on us. People don’t talk about it and we’ve got to change that.”

In addition to the mental health messages presented by Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons, during the Plein Air Easton orientation for artists, For All Seasons will offer artists, staff, volunteers, and visitors a variety of tools to help with the stress of the festival. Free materials will include a fan and a handout on box breathing, a technique useful to help calm anxiety and nervousness. There will also be short online videos in English and Spanish available on the web page

https://bit.ly/FASMentalHealthMinute, featuring For All Seasons Mental Health Minutes and other relaxation techniques.

For All Seasons will also offer Open Access walk-in crisis appointments both in person in Easton and through telehealth during the festival – a service they have been phasing in for the public over the last nine months. For All Seasons staff will be ready to assist any artist who needs to be seen during the festival.

At its Tilghman Island site, For All Seasons staff is also providing wellness resources and cookies and lemonade for any artist, staff, volunteer, or visitor who wants to stop by. Jane Gordon, one of the For All Seasons’ art therapists, will be at Plein Air Easton’s Kid’s Corner with her coloring book, “Color Me Closer,” designed for people to color in pairs. This coloring book, produced and funded by For All Seasons, is a resource for supporting children who have experienced trauma, or for anyone who wants to improve relationships or just relax and have fun together. After the fact, the Avalon Foundation is going to do a recap podcast with Dorman and another one of the For All Seasons art therapists to continue the dialogue on mental health.

“By providing this support, we are saying, ‘We see you. We are here for you. And the organization that is hosting you, the Avalon Foundation, thinks that your mental health is as important as the beautiful work that you’re creating,’” explains Dorman.

“The other thing that’s important in terms of this partnership is that we have a real opportunity for every single person who visits the Plein Air Festival to share the importance of mental health in a much different way. And the fact that the Avalon Foundation and For All Seasons can work together to create that path is very exciting.”

For All Seasons started reaching out to its community in a whole different way before COVID but offered more outreach during COVID. The organization is continuing to ensure that mental health is intersecting with the region’s business and nonprofit professionals, making sure that people have access to and an understanding of how mental health truly does affect us all.

“We have created a conversation acknowledging it’s okay if you’re struggling, and you don’t always have to have the answers for someone who is struggling. We recognized as an agency eight or nine years ago that being a mental health agency isn’t always about people coming to us and that the only way that we can truly blanket our community with mental health services and mental wellness is to go to our community and serve them,” Dorman adds.

“We’ve created an outreach and event programming that says For All Seasons is your community behavioral health and rape crisis center. This is a perfect example of how partnerships can be formed in a grassroots way because we’re both thinking outside of the box, and both saying how can we make this community healthier and make it a safe space for everyone to talk about mental health and mental wellness. We do it better together.”

“We have a real desire to begin to weave the mental health conversation into everything that the Avalon does. This is a micro example of what I hope to be a much larger partnership with For All Seasons. There are so many occasions when any business needs additional help dealing with mental health crises. With For All Seasons, our shared desire is to incorporate mental health support in all of the Avalon Foundation programming, whether it’s messaging in the Green Room or making sure that we are working on reducing stigma and providing access to everyone who uses our facilities. We serve a lot of children and a lot of community members, and we need more help,” adds Bellis.

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For information about For All Seasons walk-in hours, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsInc.org.

Founded in 1994, the Avalon Foundation is a 501 (c)3 charitable organization that began as a community theatre and has grown into the largest arts organization on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.   The Foundation’s mission is to Inspire, enrich, and connect diverse audiences through arts, educational, and cultural experiences inside the historic Avalon Theatre and throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  Plein Air Easton is the largest and most prestigious juried plein air painting competition in the United States.  It is a project of the Avalon Foundation, Inc. and is held in Easton, Maryland each July. 

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CBMM Adds Electric Vehicle Charging Station on Campus

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The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum has added to its community offerings with the recent installation of an electric vehicle charging station.

Located in CBMM’s parking lot, the new ChargePoint EV charging station and its installation costs were donated by Choptank Electric Cooperative. It is a level 2 station with two ports that provide AC at 240 volts with capability to offer 18-28 miles of range per hour of charging.

A CBMM guest charges their electric vehicle on a recent morning during Summer Camp drop-off.

Available now, the charging station offers CBMM guests the opportunity to charge their EVs while enjoying its waterfront campus and programming. The general public is welcome to use this new amenity, as well.

Choptank Electric Cooperative has previously placed similar community charging stations in the Town of St. Michaels along Fremont Street and in the parking lot of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Dorchester County.

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