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Celebrate Spring at the 13th Annual Arbor Day Run

Dust off your running shoes and start training to hustle for the herd! Runners, walkers, families and nature enthusiasts are invited to Adkins Arboretum’s 13th annual Arbor Day Run on Sat., April 7. Proceeds benefit the Arboretum’s goat herd, used for targeted grazing of invasive species.

Featuring 5K and 10K races, a free One-Mile Fun Run/Walk and a free Healthy Kids’ 100-yard Dash, the Arbor Day Run is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an early-spring morning in nature. Participants will pass the Arboretum’s goat herd on the cross-country course plotted along a network of scenic, easily navigable trails.

Check-in and day-of registration begin at 8 a.m. The Healthy Kids’ Dash begins at 8:50 a.m., followed by the 10K Run at 9 a.m., the 5K Run at 9:05 a.m. and the One-Mile Fun Run/Walk at 9:10 a.m.

Awards will be presented to the overall male/female master winners and to the top two male/female winners in categories 15 and under through 70 and older in 10-year age groups. Bluepoint Race Management will provide chip timing for the 5K and 10K races. Post-race festivities include refreshments, an awards ceremony with one-of-a-kind tree ring medals and a native tree raffle

Registration is underway, with a discount and an Arbor Day Run T-shirt for those who register for the 5K and 10K by March 25. Fun Run and Healthy Kids’ Dash participants may order T-shirts for $10 each. For fee information or to register, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

The Arbor Day Run is generously sponsored by Bay Imprint of Easton.

Wonders of the Tuckahoe Kayaking Trip

Kayaking on the Tuckahoe

Discover the beauty of Caroline County’s river trails on a guided kayaking trip on the Tuckahoe on Saturday, April 21st! Maximize your confidence prior to trip departure with basic boat handling and safety instruction starting at 2:25pm, and launch from the Hillsboro Boat Ramp at 3pm.

The excursion includes includes snacks, trained guides and up to 2-3 hours on the river. Kayaks are provided, and the fee is $25 for the general public or $15 if you bring your own kayak and for YMCA members. The reservation deadline is the Wednesday before the trip. Don’t miss this perfect opportunity to paddle south on this beautiful river! For more information, contact 410-479-8120 or Visit CarolineRecreation.org.

2018 Juried Art Show at Adkins Arboretum

The Scout - Klinedinst

There’s a powerful sense of the spirit of the Eastern Shore in Discovering the Native Landscapes of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Adkins Arboretum’s nineteenth annual Juried Art Show. On view in the Arboretum Visitor’s Center through March 30, the show celebrates the Arboretum’s conservation mission and captures multiple aspects of our landscapes and waterscapes, from the familiar to the playful to the stunningly beautiful. 

The show was juried by Benjamin T. Simons, director of Easton’s Academy Art Museum. Both he and the artists will be on hand for a reception from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 10 to talk with visitors about the work in the show.

From 115 entries submitted by 45 artists from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Georgia and Washington, D.C., Simons chose 23 works for this show. 

“I was mindful that the works would cohere as an exhibit and also relate to our landscape,” he explained. “There are various traditions represented, like plein-air, pastel, oil and sculpture, and I was glad to see there’s an etching because we’re introducing etching at the Museum, and there are some nice drawings, as well. A skillful drawing is really a pleasure.”

Simons awarded the annual first-prize Leon Andrus Award, named in honor of the Arboretum’s first benefactor, to Baltimore artist Karen Klinedinst for her three haunting photographs shot and processed on her iPhone. Although her work was new to him, Klinedinst is a frequent visitor to the Arboretum, photographing its grounds and teaching workshops in iPhoneography. Taken at the tidal Black Marsh Natural Area in the upper Chesapeake, this trio of photographs focuses on egrets in the expanse of their native habitat and calls to mind the radiant beauty and nuanced details of nineteenth-century Romantic paintings. 

Speaking of the luminescent quality of Klinedinst’s work, Simons said, “To me, it has a kind of ‘nature-photography-meets-Civil-War-era-photography’ feeling, and that’s what I found so appealing about it. They’re printed on vellum with white gold leaf, which gives them really a special glow.” 

Simons awarded the Leon Andrus second prize to Francesca Blythe of Potomac for “Wood Shell,” a sweeping driftwood sculpture burnished with velvety smoothness to a deep warm brown.

“She’s seeing something there that’s very spectacular,” he said. “It’s got an elegance of line to it, sort of a pointing finger quality, kind of an ancient hand, or a dragon head.”

Simons also awarded three Honorable Mentions, choosing two paintings and a drawing. The drawing, “Silhouette: Caledon Marsh I” by Donna Frostick of Henrico, Va., is a very unusual work made with a Sharpie marker. Drawn with intricate strokes of stark black on bright white paper, it hums with energy.

It’s a strange effect that that produces,” Simon commented. “It’s funny because you get a reflection off the water just by leaving it blank.”

The two paintings he chose are very different from one another. “Pioneer Point,” by Washington artist Carol Rowan, is a skillful and meticulous rendering in oil paint of a traditional Eastern Shore scene with two workboats moored in a quiet cove. “Foggy July (Leonard Cove, Trappe, MD),” by David Leonard of Easton, is also an oil painting, but its loose, spontaneous style captures a momentary impression of a small dock and pilings shimmering in the heat and humidity of a summer day. Simons was pleased to find such singularly varied approaches to the Eastern Shore landscape.

“That’s probably what unifies the show the most, the sense of place,” he commented. “Almost all of them convey a sense of place that’s one of the most powerful parts of living here.”

This show is part of Adkins Arboretum’s ongoing exhibition series of work on natural themes by regional artists. It is on view through March 30 at the Arboretum Visitor’s Center located at 12610 Eveland Road near Tuckahoe State Park in Ridgely. Contact the Arboretum at 410-634-2847, ext. 0 or info@adkinsarboretum.org for gallery hours.

Friday Nites in Caroline: Walt Michael & Co.

Caroline County’s concert season continues at the Caroline County Public Library’s Central Library in Denton with the sounds of hammered dulcimer virtuoso Walt Michael & Co. on Friday, February 16 at 7:00 pm.  Admission is free.

Considered to be a virtuoso of tremendous influence in the revival of the hammered dulcimer, Walt Michael’s wide repertoire ranges from old-time Southern Appalachian to Celtic.  His 35 years of musical performances ranged from the coal camps of Appalachia to the White House to the Closing Ceremonies of the 13th Olympic Winter Games.  Walt is the Artist in Residence at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, as well as founder and Executive Director of Common Ground on the Hill, an international traditional arts organization that seeks to promote interracial harmony through the traditional arts.  For a preview of Walt Michael’s music, visit his web site, waltmichael.com.

For more information, contact the Library at 410-479-1343 or info@carolib.org.  

Friday Nites in Caroline is presented by the Caroline County Council of Arts, the Caroline County Public Library, and Caroline County Recreation and Parks.  Additional support is provided by Caroline County Public Schools, Tri Gas & Oil, Best Western Denton Inn, Eastern Shore Regional Library, and the Maryland State Arts Council.  It is FREE for all attendees (donations are welcome).

Friday Nites in Caroline: Flatland Drive

Caroline County’s concert season continues with the local favorite Flatland Drive at the Caroline County Public Library’s Central Library in Denton on Friday, January 26 at 7pm. Admission is free. Flatland Drive’s performance is generously sponsored by Towers Concrete.

Band members Alan Rausch on Dobro, Lee Collins on Guitar, Curt Fox on Banjo and Rodney Collins on Bass are influenced by the patriarchs of bluegrass music, as well as the likes of Seldom Scene, Bluegrass Album Band, and Lonesome River Band. Band members find, write, and sharpen a wide array of material that showcases the instrumental prowess of the players and the harmonic talents of the vocalists.

For more information, contact the Library at 410-479-1343 or info@carolib.org.  

Friday Nites in Caroline is presented by the Caroline County Council of Arts, the Caroline County Public Library and Caroline County Recreation and Parks.  Additional support is provided by Caroline County Public Schools, Tri Gas & Oil, Best Western Denton Inn, Eastern Shore Regional Library and the Maryland State Arts Council.  It is FREE for all attendees (donations are welcome).

Friday Nites in Caroline: The Bumper Jacksons

Caroline County’s concert season continues at the Caroline County Public Library’s Central Library in Denton with the roots jazz, country swing and street blues sounds of The Bumper Jacksons on Friday, February 2nd at 7:00 pm. Admission is free.

The Bumper Jacksons’ sound is hot and sweet folk music, reflecting the colors of America’s diverse music scene from the streets of New Orleans to the hollers of the Appalachian mountains. They boldly and elegantly pay homage to the roots and traditions of American music from jazz to swing to blues.  Don’t miss this unique musical experience! For a preview of The Bumper Jackson’s music, visit their web site, bumperjacksons.com.

For more information, contact the Library at 410-479-1343 or info@carolib.org.   Friday Nites in Caroline is presented by the Caroline County Council of Arts, the Caroline County Public Library and Caroline County Recreation and Parks.  Additional support is provided by Caroline County Public Schools, Tri Gas & Oil, Best Western Denton Inn, Eastern Shore Regional Library and the Maryland State Arts Council.  It is FREE for all attendees (donations are welcome).

Vote for Your Favorite #CaptureCaroline Photos!

Martinak in the Wintertime

Voting is now open for the Winter #CaptureCaroline Photo Contest! View and vote on your favorite photos by visiting the Winter Photos Contest album on the Caroline County, MD Facebook page and liking the shots that you think are best. Every like counts as a vote, and the submission with the most votes will receive a $50 gift certificate to the Caroline County business of their choice!

Voting is open from January 15th 2018 to January 31 2018. The winner will be announced February 1st.

Check out just a few of the great entries below, and then go vote for your favorite!