Sharing the Mic

Our guest on this episode of Sharing the Mic with David Phillips is Dr. Gregg Kimbell, Director of Public Service and Outreach for the Library of Virginia. Gregg grew up with a deep love of traditional music and an ear for old stories about family and community. His long interest in music inspired him to learn guitar, banjo, fiddle, and accordion. After a stint in the Army, he became a public historian and created a long list of exhibitions, publications, and programs for museums and libraries. Gregg works closely with the staff of the Barrier Islands Center to create the programming and workshops for the annual Art and Music on the Farm. This year, it will be on May 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

David’s guest is Dr. Bryan Watts , a conservation biologist and professor at William and Mary, where he serves as the Director of the Center for Conservation Biology. He holds a BS in biology from Virginia Tech, an MA in biology from William and Mary, and a PhD in ecology from the University of Georgia. Since founding the Center in 1992, he has led over 1000 avian research projects focusing on ecological principles and habitat conservation in the Mid-Atlantic region. His recent work includes studying Chesapeake Bay osprey nesting success and advocating for balanced ecosystem management.

Jim Duffy began his storytelling journey as a cub reporter for a small newspaper near Chicago and eventually made his way to Baltimore. He transitioned into magazine writing and editing, contributing to publications like Baltimore Magazine, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, and City Paper, before embarking on a freelance writing career centered on the arts, urban development, and healthcare. Currently, Jim focuses on capturing the culture and character of the Delmarva Peninsula. He founded “Secrets of the Eastern Shore,” a platform that highlights the region through storytelling, photography, and local products. His monthly newsletter, “Month of Fundays,” boasts over 13,000 subscribers, while his “Secrets of the Eastern Shore” Facebook page has garnered more than 60,000 followers.

Our next guest on Sharing the Mic with David Phillips (January 1st) is the esteemed Katy Clune, who serves as Virginia’s state Folklorist and is the innovative Director of the Virginia Folklife Program at Virginia Humanities. With a profound commitment to preserving and promoting the rich tapestry of diverse cultures and traditions throughout the state, Katy's work is vital in fostering community pride and cultural heritage. She holds a master’s degree in Folklore from the prestigious University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she cultivated her passion for exploring the stories and practices that shape our lives. Her expertise and dedication were recognized with the honor of an Archie Green Fellowship from the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, highlighting her significant contributions to the field. Based in the historic city of Charlottesville, Virginia, Katy draws on her extensive background in cultural communications to engage with communities, ensuring that their voices and traditions are not only heard but thrive for generations to come.

Award-winning writer and author Tom Horton , a native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, has written about the environment for the Baltimore Sun for over three decades. His lifelong interest in the Chesapeake Bay Region has found expression in a number of writings, including his memoir of life on Smith Island in the book An Island Out of Time (1996), as well as Bay Country, The Great Marsh, Turning the Tide , and Water's Way . Tom’s articles have also been featured in National Geographic. Tom has presented several lectures over the years at the BIC and brought his Salisbury University students here for learning tours during their class kayak trips. His last presentation of the documentary film Beautiful Swimmers Revisited was a standing-room only event.

Cullen Strawn , PhD, Executive Director for the Arts at Old Dominion University has also overseen an art exhibition honoring the life and work of Eastern Shore artist and pastor Mary Elizabeth "MAMA-Girl" Onley (1953 - 2018). The exhibition is free and open to the public and will remain on view through May 10, 2025, at the Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries at Old Dominion University. Folks are invited to explore a diverse collection of some 150 artworks and objects from MAMA-Girl’s studio, generously shared with the public by more than a dozen lenders, including the Barrier Islands Center and residents of the Eastern Shore, along with others across Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

On this month’s episode of “Sharing the Mic,” host David Phillips sits down with Eastern Shore native Barry Mears . Author of the 2023 book Living Shoreborn: A Glimpse into Life on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Barry captures the power of community – not only in the book, but also in his daily life.

David Phillips chats with 3 former BIC Margaret Jane Dickinson interns. Tune in on September 1st to find out what Max Patten, Destin Rodgers , and Anna Hart have been up to since their respective summers in Machipongo!

Our guest is Blake Tullos, BIC's Margaret Jane Dickinson Intern for the Summer of 2024. A native of Magnolia, TX, Blake's collegiate undergraduate studies brought him to Virginia – first to Hampden-Sydney College and then to James Madison University, where he's a rising senior. At James Madison University, he is pursuing a B.A. in International Affairs and a minor in history.

Our guest is David Goodrich , author, retired United Nations climatologist, former head of the UN Global Climate Observing System, and helmsman on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather ship. Goodrich is the author of two non-fiction books that combine the science of climate change with distance cycling travel logs. His first book, A Hole in the Wind , captures Goodrich’s bicycle journey across the United States as he speaks with Americans from all political persuasions about climate change. His second book, A Voyage Across an Ancient Ocean , follows Goodrich as he cycles across the Western Interior Seaway. Goodrich has also published several other short non-fiction and fiction works in The Humanist, The Potomac Review, and National Geographic Traveler.

Jon Wehner of Chatham Vineyards - Chatham Vineyards is owned and operated by the Wehner family at historic Chatham Farm, a working farm for four centuries. Jon Wehner is a second-generation winegrower on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. He learned about grape growing from his parents, who operated Great Falls Vineyard in Great Falls, Virginia, for over thirty years. He and his wife, Mills, and their three children own and operate the vineyard and winery.

Ken Heath of the gospel group Ken Heath and the True Disciples: Ken is part of the gospel band The True Disciples, who will once again perform at Art and Music on the Farm at the BIC in May. He is a native of Petersburg, Virginia, where he was raised to the sounds of the gospel music of the Black Holiness Church and Virginia’s rich gospel quartet tradition. The True Disciples are known for their spirited, electrifying performances.

Dr. Christopher Hein , Associate Professor in Coastal Geology at The College of William and Mary/VIMS. Hein’s research focuses on coastal populations, infrastructure, and ecological communities currently threatened by atmospheric warming, accelerated sea-level rise, changes in the frequency and intensity of coastal storms, and variability in sediment supply rates. His primary research focuses on the mainland and barrier islands of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. He also has active projects studying dune processes in the North Carolina Outer Banks, barrier-island processes in the Gulf of Maine, and marshes processes along much of the US East Coast. Chris was awarded the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award at William & Mary in 2022.

Dutch artist Carole Böggemann Peirson has been a professional oil painter since 2005 and is mainly known for her East Coast landscapes. A few life-changing events in 2020 caused a shift in her work from figurative to semi-abstract. Her ethereal works in oil and cold wax are inspired by the idea that all living things are connected and that we are spiritual beings having a temporary physical experience. Carole hopes her love for life and her optimism about the future will shine through in her work and that the viewer will feel uplifted looking at it time and time again.

For the past 13 years, Jim Spione has worked with the Barrier Islands Center to produce revealing and enlightening documentaries about the barrier islands of Virginia and life on the Eastern Shore. Jim and David discuss the 8th film currently in production about the history of the Almshouse- where the Barrier Islands Center is located.

Jon Lohman is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Cultural Vibrancy. Before that, he was the director of Virginia’s state Folklife Program, where he initiated and carried out numerous programs, including an award-winning Folklife Apprenticeship Program and the corresponding book In Good Keeping. Jon has presented and served on curatorial committees for numerous local and national festivals, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Richmond Folk Festival, Merlefest, Floydfest, the Lowell Folk Festival, the American Folk Festival, and the National Folk Festival. Jon has presented his work and collaborated with the Smithsonian, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the State Department, and numerous cultural organizations and festivals throughout Virginia and the country.

Jeff Holland has been the Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District since June 2005. Jeff is responsible for the general management and oversight of the day-to-day operations of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. In this podcast episode, Jeff will discuss operating, maintaining, and preserving the largest bridge and tunnel complex in the most tumultuous marine environment for surface transportation in the world.

In this month's podcast, threads from past interviews weave a story of how a dream to preserve memories of a way of life became a creative and educational institution - the Barrier Islands Center. Featured excerpts include Washington Post journalist Devlin Barrett, musician and artist Thelma Peterson, past BIC Executive Director Laura Vaughan, BIC Executive Director Sally Dickinson, filmmaker Jim Spione, and children's book author Andrew Barbour.

Megan joined the BIC staff in 2021 as the Director of Planning and Development. Hear about her path that brought her to the BIC and what she is working on for the BIC to flourish and be impactful.

David Phillips sits down with BIC 2023 Summer Intern, Anna Hart . Anna is the 3rd recipient of the Margaret Jane Dickinson Summer internship at the BIC. She is a senior at the College of William and Mary. We hope you will enjoy hearing about her 2023 summer internship and what she has learned and experienced at the BIC.