COMING TO THE FESTIVAL

The Bayshore Discovery Center/A. J. Meerwald Schooner, Bivalve, New Jersey
The A.J. Meerwald is a restored oystering craft from the Delaware Bay, used today by the Bayshore Discovery Center to teach about the rich history of oystering in the region.  Schooner crew and Center educators are knowledgeable on topics ranging from oyster ecology to tall-ship restoration.

Jim Langley, Solomons Island, Maryland
Learning the artistry from his father Leroy Langley, Jim Langley paints boats, builds beautiful and precise models from wood, and carves wooden signs with maritime themes. He has built about 75 boat models over the years. Langley is on the staff of the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons Island, MD.

National Maritime Heritage Foundation
The National Maritime Heritage Foundation (NMHF) is a non-profit corporation located on Washington, DC's waterfront. It has a fresh approach to educating today's youth while stimulating economic and cultural community development. NMHF's maritime education and community outreach programs offer hands-on exploration for children in the area by providing a unique perspective on history.

Harry Saarinen, Amityville, New York
Like other "bay rats" from Great South Bay, Harry Saarinen spent his childhood clamming, fishing, and killeying (catching bait minnows) with his father and friends. As a welder, he creates spectacular steel fish from metal and fire. Saarinen also paints intricate maritime scenes on skimmer clams found on nearby beaches.

Kelly Smyth, Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania
Kelly Smyth has been a blacksmith for nearly 20 years, named one of the top 200 traditional craftsmen in the country by the prestigious magazine Early American Life. Smyth is adept in all facets of the blacksmith's trade, but has a special talent and love of maritime blacksmithing. She has worked as the master blacksmith for the restoration of the Susan Constant and the Kalmer Nyckel, as well as the building of the Sultana, creating authentic hinges, hooks, chainplates, marlin spikes, hanks, and other period items.