Then&Now: Maryland’s Blue Crab

Join us for “Then & Now: Maryland’s Blue Crab” as we peel back the shell of Maryland’s most iconic symbol. We’re moving beyond the blue crab’s culinary reputation to uncover the stories of the people behind the harvest—from the laborers in our packing houses to the rich history of migration and workforce development that shaped the Chesapeake. How does an industry define a culture? Why does this single crustacean hold such power over our sense of home and community? Let’s explore the intersection of labor, tradition, and identity. 

The program will feature a special installation by conceptual artist Nia Hampton, “The Labor, The Luxury,” which invites us to reflect on the past and present conditions of our region. Guests will enjoy live music by Styles Bond throughout the evening and can look forward to signature soft crab sandwiches provided by Ekiben. Join us for an engaging night of conversation, art, and local flavor.

This program is $25 for non members and $15 for members. 

6:00 – 6:30 PM | Guest Arrival + Networking + Welcome Reception
Enjoy light networking with wine and refreshments

Music by Styles Bond

6:30 – 6:40 PM | Film Screening: The Labor, the Luxury

6:40 – 7:30 PM | Panel Conversation: Then & Now
A moderated conversation exploring the legacy and ongoing impact of crabbing in Maryland

Moderator: Kira Wisniewski

Panelists: Kate Livie & Nia Hampton

7:30 – 8:30 PM | Closing Reception + Networking

Nia Hampton is a cultural worker and conceptual artist from West Baltimore. Her primary mediums include, but are not limited to, writing, film, photography, collage, and installation art. Her focus is on the African Diaspora, specifically those in the western hemisphere. Her work grapples with identity and power. Through making work that is informative of the past material conditions that create the present, she comments on the future in a way that hopefully pushes the viewer to question reality. She does this through fabricating installations, ideating concepts, and creating still and moving images that push the viewer to interrogate their own internal processes and possibly heal.

Kate Livie is a Chesapeake writer, historian, and founder of This Old Shore, a digital platform exploring the Bay’s history, culture, landscapes, and living traditions. The author of the award-winning Chesapeake Oysters: The Bay’s Foundation and Future, Livie is a native of Maryland’s Eastern Shore and teaches Chesapeake Studies at Washington College. She also chairs the Maritime Committee at the Maryland Center for History and Culture.

Hess Love is a public scholar, writer, and cultural strategist whose work spans environmental stewardship ,  religion, community-engaged anthropology , and performance. Rooted in AfroChesapeake tradition, their  research examines Hoodoo as an ecological, ancestral, and ritual technology that shapes Black relationships to land, memory, and belonging. They  work  across archives, cemeteries, waterways, environmental sites, and Black sacred spaces to understand how ritual practices serve as repositories of knowledge and frameworks for survival.

Captain “C.J.” Canby has been crabbing the Chesapeake Bay since he was 12 years old. For the past 25 Years, he’s captained the F/V Miss Paula, harvesting Maryland blue crabs while preserving the Traditions and work ethic of the Chesapeake Bay waterman. Through every season, CJ shares the stories, challenges, and heritage of life on the water.

Program partners are fundamental to the success and impact of the Then & Now series. By collaborating with local businesses, artists, and community organizations, we do more than host an event; we create a multidimensional experience that brings our programming to life.