Virginia Humanities to unveil new Eastern Shore Exhibit

A new exhibit exploring food, community, and climate is opening on November 15 at the Eastern Shore of Virginia Regional Library & Heritage Center.

The exhibit explores how foodways connect to the past of the Shore, to climate and migration, and how Shore residents are shaping a resilient future. The exhibit centers on oral histories the Virginia Folklife Program started collecting in 2023.

“We started working on this project about three years ago, and we are excited to share the work in progress with Shore residents and respond to their feedback.”

-Katy Clune, Virginia State Folklorist and director of the Virginia Folklife Program

The exhibit includes twelve portraits of individuals with excerpts from their oral histories. Some of the individuals highlighted in the exhibition include:

• Bernard Herman – Folklorist, Machipongo
• Vinicio Diaz – Tienda Emmanuel owner, Melfa
• Robert Baechtel – Retired police offer, Brigadune Inn co-owner, Tangier
• Tom Clark – Tom’s Cove Aquafarm, Chincoteague
• Thelonius Cook – Farmer, Mighty Thundercloud Edible Forest, Birdsnest
• Brenden Kettuer and Yen Nguyen – Amarin Coffee Shop owners, Chincoteague
• Carmen Diaz Pineda – Carmelitas owner, Cape Charles

The exhibit also includes an interactive story map where you can listen to the oral histories and explore food traditions. The Eastern Shore of Virginia Regional Library is also including some historical cookbooks that will be on view from their collection.

When the exhibit opens on November 15, guests will get to sample local food and have the opportunity to submit their own foodways story using their phones.

The opening and exhibit are free open to the public. The exhibit will be on display from November 15 through April 30. For more information visit VirginiaFolklife.org.

Eastern Shore Foodways, Community and Climate” is an ongoing oral history collaboration between the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities, the Virginia Tech Department of History, and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) at the University of Florida. 34 interviews were collected in 2023 and 2024 and archived with partner institutions and the Eastern Shore of Virginia Regional Library & Heritage Center.