News

Waterfowl Grant Program Open for Applications

Waterfowl Grant Program Open for Applications Non-profits of all kinds encouraged to connect people and environment

Waterfowl Festival is excited to announce its fourth year of connecting financial resources with environmental needs across Delmarva through its “Community in Conservation” funding program. These grants, supported by proceeds from annual Waterfowl Festival weekend, offer non-profits and community entities the chance to receive monies for projects and initiatives at the intersection of conservation and community.

“Waterfowl Festival continues to be dedicated to supporting waterfowl habitat improvement by funding regional projects, large and small,” explains Margaret Enloe, Waterfowl Chesapeake Executive Director. “This annual grant program creates opportunities for supporting healthy populations of ducks, geese and swans and increasing people’s connection and understanding of their importance in the ecosystem. And we welcome applicants from all across the Chesapeake region.”

The Community in Conservation program is unique for its three-pronged approach that recognizes the importance and interconnected roles that science, education and restoration play in the effort to restore waterfowl populations and landscapes. Waterfowl Festival hopes that the broad emphasis on “community”, which draws on the long history of its annual event by the same name, will encourage organizations to think creatively about who they can serve and will help generate new ideas to bring people and regional conservation work, research and education together. In 2019, this program supported two initiatives: 1) Increasing winter food sources for diving ducks and 2) Building relationship between graduate students in environmental fields and hunters and landowners.

Interested organizations should submit a their Letter of Inquiry & Support documentation at https://waterfowlfestival.org/conservation/community-in-conservation by September 10, 2021.

Requests must align with WC’s focus areas and make the connection between the project or initiative, the community of people engaged and waterfowl-related issues.

With this focus on connecting our financial resources to local environmental needs we now support projects in these four WC priority areas:

1. Initiatives at the intersections of waterfowl conservation and community
2. Education programs on Delmarva focusing on current and future generations of conservationists, enthusiasts and educators
3. Research and scientific work of graduate students, volunteer groups
   and non-profits on Delmarva
4. Restoration and conservation of projects that benefit waterfowl and
   regional habitat enhancement in ways that connect with larger bay habitat
   restoration goals

50th Anniversary Featured Art Piece “Wind and Waves” Revealed

We are proud to unveil “Wind and Waves” the featured artwork for the 50th Anniversary Festival by Featured Artist, Bart Walter!

“Wind and Waves” is a bronze of two Canada geese taking flight while three Canvasback ducks look on. It features a unique, cross-section perspective that illustrates the movement of take-off and its resulting ripple effects from above and below the surface of the water. Canada geese and Canvasback ducks are two of the most beloved waterfowl species found in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

“Wind and Waves” as well as his selection as the 50th Anniversary Festival Featured Artist, represents a homecoming for sculptor Bart Walter, who began his career at the Waterfowl Festival as a wood carver at the young age of sixteen. His early work was inspired by the wildlife and landscapes of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and “Wind and Waves” is a welcome return to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

“We could not have asked for a more beautiful and appropriate work to commemorate the 50th Waterfowl Festival,” said Kevin Greaney, Waterfowl Festival Board President. “Bart has been part of the Festival Family for many years and shares our belief that art inspires us to conserve the wildlife, habitat and heritage of the Eastern Shore. We hope that wherever ‘Wind and Waves’ finds its home, it can be enjoyed by many and be a silent ambassador for Chesapeake waterfowl, like its predecessor, Family Affair, that was created by Bart for the Festival’s 25th Anniversary in 1995.”

“Family Affair,” a bronze sculpture of a pair of geese and their hatchlings, resides at the front of the Waterfowl Building on South Harrison Street in Easton and is a beloved part of the historic downtown’s streetscape. Taking photos with “Family Affair” has become a rite of passage and part of visitors’ annual Waterfowl Festival traditions.

“It’s the gift that keeps giving,” said Walter. “It’s always out there and always speaking to the public, years and even decades later.”

After beginning his career as a wood carver, Walter transitioned to working in bronze in the late 1980s after his work caught the attention of famed primatologist, Jane Goodall, at a chance meeting at a lecture. She commissioned Walter to make two chimpanzee sculptures that now reside at the Jane Goodall Institute in Arlington, Va.

A trained biologist, Walter prefers to sketch and sculpt in the wild and gets as close to his subjects as possible. Walter has sketched and sculpted chimpanzees and elephants in Africa, polar bears in the Arctic, penguins in the Antarctic and wild mustangs on the plains of Wyoming.

Walter’s work can be found around the world in private and public collections including the Ugandan Wildlife Authority Headquarters in Kampala, the private collection of King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia, the National Zoo in Washington, DC, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin and the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming.

“Wind and Waves” will be offered for sale exclusively at the 50th Waterfowl Festival in November. It will be available in limited editions in three sizes:

44” x 72” x 21”
16” x 26.5” x 8”
11” X 18” X 5.5”

For more information about “Wind and Waves” and to inquire about purchases and editions, please contact Kathy Dawkins, Waterfowl Festival Featured Artist Co-Chair, at .

For more information about Bart Walter and his work visit here.

Waterfowl to Participate in Spring Community Day on May 15

On Saturday, May 15, a variety of Easton-based organizations are teaming up for a spring version of Easton Community Day – An Arts & Culture Celebration. This event is a day for local residents to be together without gathering, support local businesses and enjoy some of the many things Talbot County has to offer.

The inaugural CommUNITY Day last November was so well received that there was energy for a repeat event. “All our organizations, some who participated in the fall and many that have joined us for spring, wanted collaborate again,” explains planning team lead Margaret Enloe, Executive Director of Waterfowl Chesapeake. “We all wanted come together to celebrate spring and support our community as it is today – rich in diversity, art, nature and culture.”

People can expect family and kids’ art activities (on-site and as ‘grab ‘n go’ kits), guided historic tours, educational lectures and displays, live music, free carriage rides and much more. Most activities will be outside in three Easton locations, the YMCA, the Talbot County Free Library and the Waterfowl Building/Academy Art Museum. Every organization will follow COVID-related safety protocols outlined by the State of Maryland at the time of the event.

CommUNITY Day is a collaboration across seventeen different organizations that provide a wide variety of services for our community: Avalon Foundation, Academy Art Museum, Building African American Minds, Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers, Easton Arts District, Easton Economic Development

CommUNITY Day Happenings

• Waterfowl-Themed Arts & Activities – Waterfowl Chesapeake
• Carriage Rides (free) – Easton Econ. Dev. Corp
• Children’s Story Walk & Book Giveaway – Talbot County Free Library
• COVID Vaccine Clinic – Building African American Minds
• Culture Crossing – Easton Arts District
• Day of Remembrance Art Project – The Arc, For All Seasons, Inclusive Easton, Avalon Foundation
• Flowers, Flowers Everywhere! – Academy Art Museum
• Grab & Go Kids Activity Bags – Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers
• Healthy Community Day – YMCA
• History & Archaeology at James Price House – Talbot County Women’s Club
• Hummingbird Craft Kit  – Talbot Hospice
• Live Music & Activities  – Talbot Interfaith Shelter
• Registration & Coloring Activity – Imagination Library of Talbot County
• Tours of Historic Easton – Historical Society of Talbot County

Waterfowl Festival Wins Community Impact Award

Today, the Talbot County Office of Economic Development and Tourism announced its annual Community Impact Awards for 2021. The Waterfowl Festival was a recipient of one of six awards presented during their annual Business Appreciation Summit, a virtual event that celebrates the strength and resiliency of area businesses.

“We are so pleased to have been recognized in this way, especially during our 50th Festival year,” says Kevin Greaney, Waterfowl Festival Board President. “Credit for the Festival’s continued success really comes from the incredible community we live in and everyone’s commitment to keeping us going. It’s the support of hundreds of volunteers, vendors and artists, the commitments from our business and corporate sponsors, and the spirit of Talbot County that makes it all work!”

The Waterfowl Festival is valuable to the County in both an economic and a cultural sense. The “Economic Impact and Quality of Life Study of the Waterfowl Festival” released this past January illustrates that the shopping, lodging and dining during the weekend by Festival visitors results in a $2.6 million economic impact for Talbot County. Almost $500,000 of that total impact comes from Waterfowl Festival itself, which focuses on spending operations dollars locally to create the annual event. All these figures are remarkable for a one-a-year, three-day festival of its size.

The study also highlights things that local residents and visitors value about the Waterfowl Festival.  Most residents recognize the crucial role the Festival plays in keeping traditions alive and believe it is “very important or essential” to showcasing local culture and heritage, uniting the community toward a common goal, and igniting a sense of community pride. Visitors are incredibly dedicated guests who return year after year and who are avid promoters of all the Festival, Easton and the County have to offer.

Finally, while the Festival event may be what everyone knows, Waterfowl Chesapeake, Inc. and Waterfowl Festival, Inc., partner non-profit organizations, have invested nearly $4 million in habitat conservation, more than $1.2 million in education, and more than $26,000 in wildlife research initiatives over the past 50 years.

“It is an honor to be recognized by our County and business leaders in this way. The arts and our region’s traditions are essential to our community’s health, appeal and our way of life and the Festival is certainly woven into our history. After fifty years, I think I can say we are here to stay. Afterall, if we learned nothing else in the last year, we now know that it takes something the scale of a global pandemic to stop us from having a Waterfowl Festival.  We look forward to seeing everyone for our 50th in November!”

Waterfowl Festival Board President Kevin Greaney and Executive Director Margaret Enloe in front of Bart Walters’ iconic sculpture “Family Affair”

Applications for Perry Scholarships Now Open

The William A. Perry Scholarship Program was established by the Board of Directors of the Waterfowl Festival in memory of one of its principal founders and former President – Mr. William A. Perry.

Administered by the Festival’s Scholarship Committee, a Scholarship Application may be submitted by high school seniors who will be attending an accredited College/University, Trade School or, by students enrolled in accredited graduate or post-graduate degree programs.

Only students who volunteer significant time and service to the Waterfowl Festival during either the annual November Waterfowl Festival or, during the year or, who provide valuable assistance in development and participation in Programs sponsored by the Waterfowl Festival, are eligible for scholarship consideration.

Volunteer and Program work by any Applicant must have occurred within not less than 2 years prior to submission of a Scholarship Application. Complete applications are due April 30, 2022.

Apply Here

Guyette & Deeter Hosts Online Decoy Auction to Benefit Waterfowl Festival

Sculptor Bart Water Returns as Waterfowl Festival 50th Anniversary Featured Artist

The Waterfowl Festival is thrilled to welcome internationally renowned sculptor, Bart Walter of Westminster, Maryland, back to Easton as the Featured Artist for its 50th Festival on November 12-14, 2021.

“We are proud to have Bart Walter join us for our 50th Anniversary,” said Kevin Greaney, Waterfowl Festival Board President. “Bart has been part of the Festival Family for many years and shares our belief that art plays an important role in conserving the landscapes, habitats and heritage of the Eastern Shore.”

Walter’s artistic career has deep roots in Easton and with the Waterfowl Festival. He grew up in Baltimore and spent weekends and summers on the Eastern Shore hiking, hunting, fishing and canoeing where he developed his love of the natural world. Walter first exhibited at the Festival in 1974 at the age of sixteen as a wood carver and became a loyal exhibitor for many years.

“Bird carving was odd to my friends in Baltimore City,” said Walter. “The Waterfowl Festival opened my eyes to other people my age who had similar interests in art and nature. I fell in love with the Festival, and my fellow exhibitors and Festival volunteers became my extended family. I am honored to be part of this ‘homecoming,’ to celebrate this significant anniversary with such a wonderful community of artists and volunteers.”

Although Walter began his career as a wood carver, he transitioned to working with Bronze in the late 1980s. While attending a lecture, his work caught the attention of famed primatologist, Jane Goodall. She commissioned Walter to make two chimpanzee sculptures that now reside at the Jane Goodall Institute in Arlington, Va.

Battle of Wills, Jackson Hole Airport

A trained biologist, Walter prefers to sketch and sculpt in the wild and gets as close to his subjects as possible. Walter has sketched and sculpted chimpanzees and elephants in Africa, polar bears in the Arctic, penguins in the Antarctic and wild mustangs on the plains of Wyoming.

Walter’s work can be found around the world in private and public collections including the Ugandan Wildlife Authority Headquarters in Kampala, the private collection of King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia, the National Zoo in Washington, DC, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin and the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming.

When asked about the pieces and exhibitions of which he is most proud, Walter shares projects with both professional and sentimental significance. The first is the recent installation of “Battle of Wills” a 15.5 foot bronze bucking bronco at the entrance of the Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming. The second is his 1996 solo exhibition at the Musee de Vernon in the village of Vernon, France located across the River Seine from Giverny, where Claude Monet lived and painted his famous waterlilies and other impressionistic masterpieces.

His sentimental choices are “Wild Imaginings,” a bronze sculpture of a full-size lion and boy, at his hometown public library in Westminster, Maryland and “Family Affair” the bronze sculpture of a pair of geese and their hatchlings that resides at the front of the Waterfowl Building on South Harrison Street in Easton where his artistic career began.

“Family Affair” was created in honor of the Festival’s 25th Anniversary in 1995 and is a beloved part of the historic downtown’s streetscape. Taking photos with “Family Affair” has become a rite of passage and part of visitors’ annual Waterfowl Festival traditions.

Family Affair

These rituals are what Walter loves most about public art. “It’s the gift that keeps giving. It’s always out there and always speaking to the public, years and even decades later.”

As the 50th Featured Artist, Walter will create a sculpture exclusively for the 2021 Waterfowl Festival. The work will be unveiled this summer.

“Given Bart’s international acclaim and popularity, we are very grateful for his gift of time and incredible talent in support of our 50th year,” says Waterfowl Chesapeake Executive Director Margaret Enloe. “Our partnership has been years in the works. We offer this announcement with excitement for a fall Festival where everyone has renewed excitement for friendships, community and the beauty of our natural world”.

Look for the unveiling of Walter’s Featured Art sculpture for the 2021 Festival this summer.

“Bird carving was odd to my friends in Baltimore City,” said Walter. “The Waterfowl Festival opened my eyes to other people my age who had similar interests in art and nature. I fell in love with the Festival, and my fellow exhibitors and Festival volunteers became my extended family.”

Planning for 50th Waterfowl Festival in November is Full Steam Ahead

The staff and volunteers of the Waterfowl Festival are busily planning for the 50th, scheduled for November 12-14, 2021. 

“Many people don’t realize that planning for the Waterfowl Festival is a year-long endeavor so as of now we are counting on being able to celebrate our 50th this Fall – albeit with some changes for the safety designed to protect our artists, exhibitors, volunteer and the entire community,” said WF Board President Kevin Greaney. “ Most importantly we’re planning to celebrate our history, heritage, art, and  culture as a community again.”

Waterfowl Chesapeake, the parent nonprofit of the Festival, was awarded two forgivable PPP (Payroll Protection Program) loans established by the 2020 CARES Act, with support from the Department of the Treasury. These much needed funds have allowed Waterfowl to keep staff on the payroll and working towards organizing for the 50th Waterfowl Festival.

Since November, the Virtual Art Gallery has generated a much needed sales boost to many fine artists who were juried into last year’s show. The site has recorded over $40,000 in sales during a time when art lovers were limited to online purchases. Those sales have been vital to the artists and Waterfowl’s planning since a percentage of each purchase helps support Waterfowl’s 2021 Festival. New works are being continuously added, too. Just this month, the Virtual Gallery was refreshed to include works from new artists in the local Working Artists Forum, WF’s Buy, Sell, Swap and Chesapeake Marketplace exhibits. More than 250 pieces of art are on sale in the gallery for the at-home shopper at https://waterfowlfestival.org/virtual-art-gallery/

Painter Julia Purinton and photographer Heather Orkis are top sellers,  both sold five pieces from the gallery.  Al Jordan’s “Frosty Morning” carving of a merlin was the top-priced piece, selling at $2950.

“By engaging our art buyers online and providing an exciting virtual experience for art collectors, we have kept the Festival in the hearts and minds of our collectors and fans.” Said Greaney. “We hope this momentum and online sales keeps us moving forward toward a terrific 50th Festival in the Fall where all our fantastic art can be enjoyed in person.”

At this time, the Festival is recruiting vendors and accepting applications for new artists who wish to exhibit for 2021. The links to the applications can be found at:

https://waterfowlfestival.org/apply-to-be-an-exhibiting-artist/

https://waterfowlfestival.org/apply-to-be-a-vendor/

Add your email to the list and we’ll send you updates on planning for the 2021 Festival.

Festival Mourns Loss of Founder, Former Chair

January 26, 2021 – Last week, the Waterfowl Festival learned of the passing of Betty Perry, who along with her husband Bill was a founding member of the very first Waterfowl Festival in 1970. Betty was a longtime volunteer for the Festival and its unofficial historian before her retirement. Today, her family continues to support the Festival through the volunteerism and Chair of especially the Carving Pavilion. We were also shocked to hear of the passing of former photography Chairman David Bishop. Bishop was the unofficial photographer of the Festival and will be greatly missed among the marketing staff. Dave was the former owner of Hobby Horse, a photography shop in town and was an avid fan of drag racing – even starting his own publication, East Coast Drag Racing News in his later years.

Betty Perry

Betty Perry was most well-known as a Waterfowl Festival co-founder, along with her husband Bill Perry in 1970.

Elizabeth ‘Betty” Rice Perry died at her home early Thursday morning, Jan. 14, 2021. She was 87.

Born on Aug. 5, 1933, in Bergen County, N.J., Elizabeth Jane Rice was the daughter of Harold and Mary Brower Rice. She grew up in Laurel, Md., where she graduated from Laurel High School. Always a strong swimmer, she became a Red Cross lifeguard. She attended Pennsylvania State University for two years before attending the University of Maryland at College Park, where she received a degree in home economics. She moved from Laurel to Easton in the late 1950s to take a job as the 4-H Agent for Talbot County with the University of Maryland Extension Service.

On Nov. 24, 1958 she and William Arthur Perry were married at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Easton. In the mid-1960s, she and her dear friend, Margaret Dise, operated the Yarn Shop on Dover Street in Easton. Mrs. Perry worked for several years as a social worker for the Talbot County Department of Social Services. Later, she was office manager for the Talbot County Mental Health Association.

For many years she was a volunteer for primary and general elections at the polling place in Royal Oak.

Betty Perry said the Waterfowl Festival was born on her kitchen table, because her husband, Bill Perry, and Dr. Harry Walsh held many of their early planning sessions for the Festival there. She was a dedicated Festival volunteer from its birth in the fall of 1970 until ill health forced her retirement. For several years she served as the Festival’s historian.

For many years she accompanied her husband on his annual summer trips across America with the Outdoor Writers Association of America. She was an avid golfer until about age 80. She enjoyed fishing and landed several impressive catches. A skilled seamstress, she made clothing for family, did extraordinary upholstery, made fine drapes and knitted. She was dedicated to membership in her quilting clubs. She had an entire room equipped for sewing, with a sewing machine and lots and lots of material. In the late 1960s, Betty and her husband built their home in Royal Oak.

Memorial donations may be made to the Waterfowl Festival’s William H. Perry Scholarship Fund, 40 S. Harrison St., Easton, MD 21601, or Channel Marker, 8865 Glebe Park Drive, Easton, MD 21601.

David Bishop

Former Photography Chair, member of the Waterfowl Commission, was the Waterfowl Festival’s unofficial photographer.

David was born in Easton, Maryland to the late Virgil Bartlett Bishop and Elsie Kathryn Carpenter on February 26, 1947. David spent his childhood in Oxford, Maryland where he was known as one of the “Oxford Boys”. Living in Oxford was one of the joys of his life. He enjoyed playing baseball in the church yard as well as basketball and scouts. His lifelong friendships from the early years were always special to him and he always enjoyed attending the “Oxford Boys” reunions. He graduated from Easton High School in 1965 and went on to receive his Associates degree from Wesley College. Several years later, he received his B.S. degree in business management with a minor in journalism from High Point University in North Carolina. David loved journalism and photography and was involved with the yearbook committee at Easton High, Wesley and High Point. After graduating from college, David was employed with Jefferson Pilot Life Insurance Company in Greensboro, North Carolina where he worked for 6 years. In 1970, he started his own business, Competition Photos Inc., which he operated for most of his adult life.

In 1976, after his father became ill, David returned from North Carolina and took over the family business – The Hobby Horse Audio Visual Services Inc. He owned and operated the Hobby Horse as well Competition Photos, until he sold the Hobby Horse in 2006. In 2004 David founded East Coast Drag News, LLC, where he wrote various stories and published photos about the drag racing industry – one of the passions of his life. David semi-retired in 2010 and held various jobs up until his death.

Drag racing and photography were lifelong passions for Dave. In the eighties and nineties, Dave was the proprietor of one of downtown Easton’s iconic shops – The Hobby Horse. His place provided photographic services, cameras of all vintages, film processing, custom photography and other specialties like model airplane and car kits. Dave put this passion to use as the Photography Chair for Waterfowl Festival for decades. In addition to taking pictures of all the activities at the Festival each fall, he also worked with other professional and amateur photographers to capture the spirit of our event.

Dave also served as a local business representative on the Waterfowl Festival Commission for many years. This Town of Easton Commission includes business and residential representatives that help ensure the downtown area retains the historic charm we are known for during Festival weekend.  The commission cooperates with downtown businesses to make sure codes are followed and it also juries in food vendors for Festival weekend. The valuable work of the commissioners is just one of the many little-known, behind-the-scenes management that makes Waterfowl Festival work smoothly.  

 https://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/a-great-drag-racing-ambassador-dave-bishop-has-passed?fbclid=IwAR33gzXyP99sGuiLSGecxAr05hfayRtnwKRhAkJOU9YR2GCjgeOQxxeQMKQ