National marine art exhibition opens on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

The 17th National Exhibition of the American Society of Marine Artists is now open to the public at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. and the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Md. The exhibition continues through April 2, 2017.

Contemporary American Marine Art highlights the works of marine artists recognized as the best in contemporary marine art by ASMA’s juried competition, and includes more than 120 works of painting, sculpture, and scrimshaw from the nation’s leading marine artists. Juried from more than 500 paintings and sculpture submitted for consideration, the works represent a wide variety of subject matter, medium, technique, and inspired vision.

The exhibition is hosted every three years in museums across the United States, and this year debuted on September 8 at the Muscarelle Museum of Art, in conjunction with the First National Marine Art Conference, on September 8 in Williamsburg, Va. The joint exhibition at CBMM and the Academy Art Museum opened December 9, 2016.

“With every National Exhibition comes a dedicated, collaborative effort from the Society’s Fellows who judiciously select the ‘best of the best’ for our prestigious traveling collection of works,” commented ASMA President Kim Shaklee. “It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we welcome the public to delve into the mystique of the various mediums in hopes of igniting a spark for the intricacies and nuances lying within the art included in the 17th ASMA National.”

“We are honored to bring the nation’s best contemporary marine art to CBMM for our members and guests to view and enjoy,” said CBMM Chief Curator Pete Lesher. “We identify closely with the mission of ASMA as we both have the goal to preserve, encourage, and highlight maritime practices.”

“For years, Pete Lesher and I—as curators in neighboring museums—have worked toward collaborating on a bi-venue exhibition that involves both art and a maritime theme,” commented Academy Art Museum Senior Curator Anke Van Wagenberg. “The ASMA exhibition is a natural opportunity for us to work together on a theme that is so dear to our wider community. We are very proud to co-host the exhibition at the Academy Art Museum.”

ASMA is a non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to recognize and promote marine art and maritime history, and to encourage cooperation among artists, historians, academics, enthusiasts and others engaged in activities relating to marine art.

Founded in 1958, the Academy Art Museum’s expanding collection, exhibitions, and broad spectrum of arts programs is made available to everyone, with a mission to provide the knowledge, practice, and appreciation of the arts needed to enhance cultural life on the Eastern Shore.

Established in 1965, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a world-class maritime museum dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and people of the entire Chesapeake Bay, with the values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship guiding its mission. Serving more than 70,000 guests each year, CBMM’s campus includes a floating fleet of historic boats and 12 exhibition buildings, situated in a park-like setting along the Miles River and St. Michaels’ harbor. For more information, visit www.cbmm.org