Sharing the Mic

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. 

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.