Rising Tide in the Heart of the Chesapeake August 19, 2011

This exhibit examines changing forces in the Chesapeake's low-lying island communities through photos, videos, and stories. Photographs by David Harp and text by environmental writer Tom Horton combine to explore the cultural and environmental changes of the Chesapeake. New to the 2011 exhibit are stories of the Smith Island Crabmeat Cooperative, a business enterprise of watermen's wives who pick an sell meat from the crabs caught by their families. Another addition is the story of a father-son crab potting team, Harvey and Brian Corbin, whose livelihoods have been impacted by new crab harvesting limits. The entire exhibit showcases stories of people from three islands, Hoopers, Smith, and Holland, and focuses on the loss or threatened loss of their cultures. The threats are multiple: erosion, flooding, and the temptation of a more promising life ashore to children of families that grew up in these tightly-knit communities.