NOAA is now accepting applications for the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, to advise NOAA on the sanctuary management plan and will serve as a liaison between NOAA and the community. Applications will be accepted through July 1, and materials for voting seats are available here.

NOAA is currently recruiting for all 15 voting seats and 15 alternate seats from each of the following interests:

• Maritime Archaeology and History (2 members, 2 alternates)

• Cultural Heritage (1 member, 1 alternate)

• Recreation (2 members, 2 alternates)

• Business and Economic Development (2 members, 2 alternates)

• Tourism and Marketing (1 member, 1 alternate)

• Education (2 members, 2 alternates)

• Research, Science and Technology (1 member, 1 alternate)

• Recreational Fishing (1 member, 1 alternate)

• Commercial Fishing (1 member, 1 alternate)

• Citizen At-Large (2 members, 2 alternates)

In addition, we are seeking a member of the community, age 14-17 at the time of application, who will sit in a youth seat on the council as a non-voting member. Non-voting members will represent Charles County, MD Department of Planning, MD Department of Natural Resources, Department of Navy / Department of Defense, US Coast Guard, State of Virginia, Piscataway Conoy Tribe (Maryland), Piscataway Indian Nation (Maryland), and the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia.

Joining us for National Maritime Day? Help us get the word out!

On Friday, May 22, no later than 1:00 p.m. EDT, use the hashtag #NationalMaritimeDay on your social media posts to join the conversation.  National Maritime Day is an opportunity to thank our nation’s maritime industry and commemorate merchant mariners lost in war, while creating a broader awareness of nation’s waterborne transportation system and its workers.

 Not sure what to post? We have some ideas below!

• Tweet a photo or video of U.S. merchant mariners, cadets and midshipmen, or maritime industry workers
• Tweet a photo or video that highlights the U.S. maritime industry (i.e. small shipyards, ports, inland waterways)
• Retweet industry posts (i.e. shipyards, ports, U.S.-flag carriers etc.)
• Retweet Maritime Administration (MARAD) posts from @DOTMARAD
• Tweet a photo of YOU (and your brother, aunt, neighbor…) holding a sign with the hashtag #NationalMaritimeDay

And remember to join us for the National Maritime Day ceremony this Friday, May 22 at 10:30 A.M. at YouTube.com/c/MaritimeAdministration1950

The Council of American Maritime Museums plans to hold its conference and annual meeting April 26-28, 2021 at the Vancouver Maritime Museum in Vancouver, British Columbia. These plans have been made with the anticipation that international travel and large gatherings will be permitted. More information about the conference program will be released in the coming months. The CAMM Board and the staff of the Vancouver Maritime Museum will continue to monitor and adhere to current directives while they work to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all in 2021.

Conference information will be updated on the CAMM website at https://councilofamericanmaritimemuseums.org/annual-meeting/

National Maritime Healthcare Salute

Originally planned for display in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Van Lennep Auditorium, a new exhibition featuring the works of Chesapeake Bay photographer Jay Fleming will be presented to the public virtually starting Monday, May 18. Island Life: Changing Culture, Changing Shorelines can be found online at cbmmislandlife.org.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring CBMM into your homes through this virtual exhibition,” said CBMM President Kristen Greenaway. “We’re in the process of shifting to more and more virtual offerings at this time and look forward to finding additional ways to deliver Chesapeake Bay content to our guests in the months to come.”

Fleming’s photographs reveal how the changing environment is affecting the cultures and shorelines of inhabited and formerly inhabited offshore islands in the Chesapeake Bay. He discovered his passion for photography upon inheriting a hand-me-down Nikon film camera at age 13 from his father, Kevin, a former National Geographic photographer. Fleming immediately developed an affinity to looking at life through the lens of his camera, and what ensued was an exciting photographic journey that would eventually lead him to his career as a professional photographer. His first book, Working the Water—a photographic narrative of the Chesapeake Bay seafood industry—is in its third printing and his next book, Island Life—around which this exhibition is based—is expected to be released in the fall of 2021.

“Jay Fleming is a consummate visual storyteller,” said Jenifer Dolde, CBMM’s Associate Curator of Collections. “His frequent visits to the islands and shorelines along the Bay have resulted in an intimate knowledge of the land and people, allowing him to capture moments in time that encapsulate our distinctive Chesapeake landscape and culture.”

Island Life: Changing Culture, Changing Shorelines can be viewed online admission-free for your comfort and convenience. The exhibition is possible by generous contributions to CBMM’s Annual Fund, which supports everything from education and boatbuilding programs to interactive exhibitions and more than 75,000 irreplaceable objects in CBMM’s collection. If you wish to give to the Annual Fund, please visit cbmm.org/donate.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and making this resource available to all. Every aspect of fulfilling this mission is driven by CBMM’s values of relevance, authenticity, and stewardship, along with a commitment to providing engaging guest experiences and transformative educational programming, all while serving as a vital community partner. For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.

Discover over 30 sessions designed to help us to rebuild a more sustainable, inclusive, and powerful museum field.

Check out the full program, including our great line up of general sessions, breakout sessions, and virtual exhibitors.

Washington, DC— The Institute of Museum and Library Services today announced two new funding opportunities for museums, libraries, federally recognized tribes, and organizations that primarily serve Native Hawaiians. The combined $15 million federal investment will provide direct support to these institutions, equipping them to respond to community needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• IMLS CARES Act Grants for Museums and Libraries: Thursday, May 14, 2:00-3:00 PM ET 

• IMLS CARES Act Grants for Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum and Library Services: Friday, May 15, 2:00-3:00 PM ET

Mentoring can support your professional development as a museum leader in this time of uncertainty, budget cuts, and isolation. You are invited to serve as an online mentor or to reach out for support as a mentee during this time of physical distancing by joining POLARIS: The Museum Mentor Network.   Polaris is free to all museum professionals.   In the spirit of leaders making leaders, find a match now to cultivate your leadership skills as we navigate to brighter skies together.

Mentoring can support your professional development as a museum leader in this time of uncertainty, budget cuts, and isolation. Consider serving as an online mentor or to reach out for support as a mentee while you are physically distancing. In the spirit of leaders making leaders, find a match now to cultivate your leadership skills as we navigate to brighter skies together.

POLARIS: the Museum Mentor Network is free and open to museum professionals world-wide.

1. Register / Log-in to MuseumMentors.org
2. Complete / Update your profile:
Include your “Affiliation,” and “Summary” at the top. Check the relevant boxes for your “Skills and Expertise” under “Other Information.”
3. Mentees can find their match and then send a request to available mentors.
4. Mentors can say how they’d like to help and then set up their first phone/video meeting with a mentee.
5. Self-study modules help guide you through the process of building a strong and mutually beneficial connection.

Please contact Melody.Kanschat@cgu.edu if you have questions.