WHO. The Shore Explorations exhibition has arisen out of an unusual partnership between The Frederick Douglass Honor Society (FDHS), Waterfowl Chesapeake, Assemble Inc. and teachers, students and design interns here in the mid-Shore. It is designed to engage everyone - whether you're young or youthful or a 'been here' or a 'come here'.
It is still your Shore. Our inspiration comes from Frederick Douglass’ life which was rich with connections to the Eastern Shore community. Rather than an exhibit on Douglass himself, FDHS wanted Shore Explorations to draw on his legacy of courage, education, personal growth and determination in order to engage our community in considering the ways in which we must pay tribute to our past and use it as a launching pad for our regions’ future. Waterfowl Chesapeake recognizes that stewardship of the lands, waters and community is vital to the Shore’s future. As a neutral convener for conversations, dialogue and solutions, we believe our individual and collective connections to this region play a vital role in how we view and care for the places and people we love. We find no stronger evidence of this than in the historic Waterfowl Festival. Now in its 48th year, we believe this singular and unique event is unlike any other in the U.S. because its strength arises out of the community’s sense of pride in our home region. Not just for the young-at-heart, we are also guided by the work of several local teachers and their students who are engaged in our questions and developing designs that conceptualize new models for curiosity, collaboration and community participation. Their themes of balance and connection in our culture, economy and environment are laying a foundation for a better understanding of the Chesapeake Bay’s unique cultures and ecology. |
