ST MICHAELS, MD – Chesapeake photographer Jay Fleming’s work will be featured in a new special exhibition at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., starting January 28, 2022. Island Life: Changing Culture, Changing Shorelines will be on display in CBMM’s Van Lennep Auditorium through May 29, 2022.
Originally planned for a 2020 opening, CBMM instead hosted a virtual exhibition of these works at cbmmislandlife.org and will now install 15 of them onsite to celebrate the publication of Fleming’s latest book, Island Life.
Fleming’s photographs reveal how the changing environment is affecting the cultures and shorelines of inhabited and formerly inhabited offshore islands in the Chesapeake. He discovered his passion for photography upon inheriting his father, former National Geographic photographer, Kevin, hand-me-down Nikon film camera at the age of 13. Fleming immediately developed an affinity to looking at life through the lens of his camera and what ensued was an exciting photographic journey that would eventually lead him to his career as a professional photographer. His first book, Working the Water—a photographic narrative of the Chesapeake Bay seafood industry—is in its third printing and Island Life was released last fall. A free, in-person book talk is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 23, with more details available at bit.ly/FlemingArtistTalk.
“Jay Fleming is a consummate visual storyteller,” said Jenifer Dolde, CBMM’s Associate Curator of Collections. “His frequent visits to the islands and shorelines along the Bay have resulted in an intimate knowledge of the land and people, allowing him to capture moments in time that encapsulate our distinctive Chesapeake landscape and culture.”
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and making this resource available to all. Every aspect of fulfilling this mission is driven by CBMM’s values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship, along with a commitment to providing engaging guest experiences and transformative educational programming, all while serving as a vital community partner. For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.
#####
~ Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
