Winter Speaker Series Showcases Bay History and Future

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) opens the new year with a winter Speaker Series in the Van Lennep Auditorium, with each program also available virtually. The lineup brings together authors, scholars, and community voices to examine the history, culture, and environmental challenges shaping life on the Bay; the series is supported by the Upper Shore Regional Folklife Center through the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

Programs are scheduled throughout winter and spring, and emphasize connections between local experience and broader historical or scientific contexts. Suggested admission is $8 per program; registration and additional details are available at cbmm.org/SpeakerSeries.

Author Talks, Watermen Stories, and Climate Research Dates

The series begins Thursday, Jan. 8, at 5:30 p.m. with historian Richard Bell discussing his book The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, which reframes the Revolution as an international conflict with consequences across six continents. CBMM will continue programming related to America250 throughout the year, highlighting regional links to the nation’s 250th anniversary.

A Watermen’s Story Swap returns Thursday, Jan. 29, at 5:30 p.m., after CBMM’s inaugural swap drew a full house in January 2024; local author and historian Brent Lewis will moderate a panel of watermen sharing work-life narratives from the Bay. Additional winter programs include Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m., when cultural anthropologists Aaron Lampman (Washington College) and David Casagrande (Lehigh University) present research on “ecomyopia”—the social and cultural mechanisms that cause communities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to discount climate risk—and Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m., when folklorist Amy Skillman presents oral histories from CBMM’s Her Helm exhibition, focusing on women captains and storm narratives.

Featured Speakers: Bell, Watermen, Ecomyopia, McCray

Richard Bell’s Jan. 8 presentation places the American Revolution in a global frame and highlights how the conflict reshaped social and political orders beyond the thirteen colonies. His talk sets a context for CBMM’s broader America250 programming and invites local audiences to consider the Bay’s place in wider historical processes.

On April 30 at 5:30 p.m., CBMM will host “The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life: An Evening with Cory McCray.” McCray, a journeyman electrician and Maryland state senator, will discuss his debut book and the role of mentorship, skilled trades, and second-chance pathways in workforce development. The program will include a conversation about building sustainable career pipelines and conclude with a book signing.

How CBMM’s Series Advances Bay Storytelling and Stewardship

CBMM’s winter Speaker Series combines historical interpretation, first-person storytelling, and contemporary research to deepen public understanding of the Chesapeake region. By presenting diverse perspectives—from academic analyses of climate-related social dynamics to oral histories from working watermen and women—the series links cultural knowledge with ongoing stewardship challenges facing the Bay.

Attendance supports continued programming and community engagement; organizers will announce further speakers and events in the coming months. For schedules, registration, and virtual access information, visit cbmm.org/SpeakerSeries.

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