Join the talented string trio Vandalia for an immersive Old-Time music workshop on Saturday, November 8th at Allegro Academy. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned player, this hands-on session will help you deepen your understanding of the singular groove unique to Old-Time music. With Dakota Karper on fiddle, Ellen Gira on cello and Gabriel Furtado on guitar, Vandalia will guide you through essentials of Old-Time tunes. The workshop begins with small breakout groups, working with one of Vandalia’s musicians on melody and backing. As the workshop progresses, we’ll come together to play as an ensemble and experience the magic of group music-making! This is also a rare opportunity for cellists to learn authentic trad backing and bowing from one of the best in the business. Whether you’re playing fiddle, banjo, guitar, or another instrument, everyone is welcome!

Vandalia is dedicated to exploring the depth and breadth of American String-band music. Informed by tradition, but not chained to it, the group has found a niche inside of the old-time community as well as in the wider arts world that offers audiences a forward-looking take on traditional acoustic music. Formed from a chance encounter at the 2024 Baltimore Old-Time Festival, fiddler Dakota Karper, cellist Ellen Gira and guitarist Gabriel Furtado met in a late-night afterparty jam session. Together the trio creates a version of string-band music you can tap your foot to, or get lost in the details of the melodies. Weaving intricate fiddle and cello lines, gorgeous vocal harmonies, subtle guitar textures and exhilarating rhythmic drive, the pleasure these three musicians have creating and playing together is palpable, both in the studio and on the concert stage. More about this band at can be found at www.vandaliaband.com. 

The Old-Time music workshop will take place at Allegro Academy, 114 North Washington Street, Easton, on November 8, 1-3pm.  A donation of $20-$50 per person is suggested.  To register, please email [email protected] or call 410-603-8361. 

Allegro Academy, a non-profit music conservatory located in downtown Easton, connects musicians through workshops, lessons, ensembles, and performances, and aspires to enrich the lives of music enthusiasts of all ages and incomes in our community. Academy Programs are supported in part by generous contributions from individuals, Talbot Arts, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, and the Maryland State Arts Council.

Local couple Maire McArdle and Stephen Walker are proud to announce the release of their first children’s book, Timothy O’Toole, A Cat’s Tale. The book’s premiere will take place on Friday, December 12, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at The Zebra Gallery, located in the heart of downtown Easton, MD. The festive evening will include meet-the-author and artist conversations, lively music, light refreshments, and a limited supply exclusive Timothy gift set with every book purchase. Framed fine art giclées of the book’s illustrations will be on display and also available for sale.

“We are thrilled to bring our little story to life and launch this special book in our wonderful arts community,” said Maire McArdle, a career magazine art director and the book’s author. “Timothy has been a project that my husband Steve Walker and I have been collaborating on for five years. We decided to self-publish and finance the printing ourselves, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. We hope everyone will love our book!”

Stephen Walker, a lifelong fine artist and Maire’s husband, created the book’s pastel illustrations to bring the story’s human themes to life. The Zebra Gallery owner and curator, Susan Schauer John, expressed her enthusiasm for hosting the event, sharing, “Celebrating art in all the ways it touches our lives is part of our mission here at The Zebra Gallery. Partnering with Maire and Stephen allows us to bring the art of children’s literature into our gallery space.” In addition to the December 12 launch event, visitors are invited to attend two live readings of the book: Saturday, December 13, at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 14, at 2:00 p.m. All events will take place at The Zebra Gallery and are free and open to the public.

Event Details:

Location: The Zebra Gallery, 5 N. Harrison Street, Easton, MD

Book Premier and Giclées Sale: Friday, December 12, 5–7 p.m.

Book and Giclées Sale: Saturday, December 13 & Sunday, December 14, 11 a.m.  – 5 p.m.

With Live Author Readings at 2 PM each day

About the Book:

Timothy O’Toole, A Cat’s Tale, is told from the perspective of Timothy, a family’s beloved cat. Framed within a timeline of the seasons, the story explores the experience of moving away and the emotions that come with change. Classic pastel illustrations by Stephen Walker and poetic prose by Maire McArdle present an endearing “cat’s tale” that is sure to be treasured by children, grown-ups, and cat lovers alike.

The Botanical Art League of the Eastern Shore  is exhibiting paintings and drawings in an exhibit ‘Garden Companions’ at the Talbot County Library. The exhibit opened on October 1 and runs until October 30 during regular library  hours. Using mediums of watercolor, colored pencil, graphite and ink, members have paired vegetables and flowers in our gardens that are beneficial to each other’s growth and health.The exhibit will move to the Queen Anne Center for the Arts in Centreville for the month  of November.

Companion planting is a gardening technique where different plants are grown together to benefit one another, whether through improved growth, pest control, enhanced flavor or all of these.  For example, planting marigolds alongside vegetables like tomatoes can help deter harmful insects, while basil, when planted near tomatoes, is believed to improve the flavor of the fruit and repel pests like aphids.

The benefits and modern relevance of companion gardening undoubtedly continue to exist:

Pollination – Companion plants can attract pollinators, improving crop yields.

Pest Control – Some companion plants deter pests; others attract beneficial insects that control other pests.

Weed Suppression – Companion plants help suppress weeds by creating shade.

Nutrient Enhancement – Some plants, like beans and clover, are nitrogen fixers, enriching the soil for other plants.

Soil Health – By reducing erosion, conserving moisture, and adding nutrients, companion plants can improve the soil.

Space Optimization – No matter how large or how small your garden, companion planting allows for better use of garden space.

Sustainable Agriculture – By reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and other external inputs, companion planting can help protect the ecosystem of your garden.

The Zebra Gallery will host an opening reception for “Boardwalk Fare: Polymer Clay Paintings” by Joseph Barbaccia from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, October 3, with music by DJ Hector.

Barbaccia, an artist based in Georgetown, DE, works in two- and three-dimensional media. Color and form have inspired Barbaccia since his earliest memories.

Over his five-decade career, he has exhibited in more than 35 group shows and 10 solo exhibitions at venues including the Greater Reston Art Center, Delaware Contemporary, Rehoboth Art League, and Washington’s Corcoran Gallery.

“What’s remarkable about Joseph’s art is how he elevates everyday objects into something sculptural, colorful, and full of life,” said gallery owner Susan Schauer John.

In 2018, Barbaccia moved to Georgetown, where his workspace was smaller than the large studio of his previous decades. He soon realized he must work with different materials and methods to accommodate the change. Polymer clay, with its transparency and full color spectrum, allowed him to create in both two and three dimensions and sent his art in a new direction.

“Approximately 90% of the artists creating with polymer clay create jewelry,” Barbaccia said. “I thought the time was right to expand its visual range.”

His polymer clay works reimagine everyday objects with thousands of hand-placed clay strands, creating playful, vividly textured compositions that merge painting, sculpture, and illustration. His art has appeared in many publications. In addition, Barbaccia has illustrated three children’s books, with a fourth underway.

The opening reception is free and open to the public.

The Zebra Gallery address is 5 N. Harrison Street, Easton, MD (across the street from the Historic Tidewater Inn). For further information, visit https://www.thezebragallery.com. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, or by appointment.

On the 176^th Anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s Travel to Freedom in Pennsylvania

Reaching Across Cultural Divides Through Diverse and Fresh Conversation

WFHW 90.3 FM – “Find the Harriet Within,” from the heart of the Mid-Shore Maryland, will go live on October 12, 2025, at 6 pm offering dynamic new broadcasting and streaming platforms for local artists, and communities whose stories too often go unheard. Tickets for the launch event and 7 pm Prince Tribute Purple Party are available at avalonfoundation.org.

Broadcasting from the birthplace of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, the Eastern Shore will find its radio voice as a beacon of inspiration, history and culture on WFHW.  The Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center and Building African American Minds have partnered with Radio Chesapeake to bring new NPR Member Station to life as News-Talk Radio WFHW (90.3 FM), serving the heart of the Eastern Shore’s Talbot & Dorchester counties.

Rooted in the spirit of Harriett Tubman — the courageous freedom fighter and visionary of Dorchester County — and her neighboring abolitionist champion Frederick Douglass — the station is dedicated to bridging the divides within our communities by sharing music across genres and telling uplifting stories that speak to us all. WFHW intends to be a gateway to the best fact-based journalism and a sanctuary for civilized community discourse.

“Our goal is simple: amplify voices that matter and music that moves,” said Linda D. Harris, Station Manager of Harriett Tubman Radio, a service of Mid-Shore Community Radio.

 “We are curating a program schedule that goes beyond the mainstream — music that could fit everyone’s taste paired with raw, honest conversations with the people who live here,” added WHCP-FM Station Manager Amanda Tilghman. “The program schedule will celebrate the common values of us all – wanting the best for our children, friends and families, even including our universal love for pets, and respect for our elders.”

The station’s programming features daily segments by the students at the BAAM Academic Center in Easton, as well as established programming like Mid-Shore Mid-Day & Shore Stories.

WFHW also invites community members to submit their original shows, original music, or volunteer behind the scenes. Special emphasis is placed on under-represented voices across Dorchester, Talbot, Caroline, and surrounding counties.

The station is building a listening experience as real and rooted in the communities it serves. For artist submissions, interviews, or partnership opportunities, please contact: [email protected]

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Mid-Shore Community Radio, Inc. is the licensee for WFHW-FM and sister station WHCP 91.7.  Both stations are now the only locally produced stations on the Mid-Shore. Beginning as low power WHCP-LP in 2015 the stations share four studios, two each in Easton and Cambridge and hosts over three dozen content producers exclusive to the stations, including nationally renowned Heather Cox Richardson, Tiny Desk creator Bob Boilen, and many others.  WHCP-FM 91.7 provides a regional service on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. More information at whcp.org

The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center, Inc. located at 424 Race Street, Cambridge, Maryland, is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman. Established in the 1980s, the Museum educates visitors about Tubman’s extraordinary contributions as an Underground Railroad conductor, Civil War spy, military leader, nurse, suffragist, and humanitarian.  The Museum offers guided walking tours of downtown Cambridge and the surrounding areas where Tubman once lived, providing an immersive experience into the region’s impact on Tubman’s fight for freedom and equality.  More information at harrietttubmanmuseumcenter.org.

Building African American Minds (BAAM) is partnering to provide weekday fresh young voices in the multi-media concentration sharing the music that moves them and the ideas and inspirations that fuel their rich academic life at the acclaimed new BAAM Academic Center in Easton.  More information on the many athletic, scholastic, and early learning offerings at BAAM can be found at www.baaminc.org.