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.

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. 

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.

Artist Carole Böggemann Peirson: 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.

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.

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.

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.

Megan Ames 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.

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.

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.

Fans of the Barrier Islands Center's documentary films have remarked on the beautiful music that perfectly sets the mood and captures our emotions. Our guest on this episode of Sharing the Mic is Emile Menasché who composed the original scores for all seven films. A graduate of New York University's acclaimed school of Tisch School of the Arts, Emile is a self-described music geek who scores film and tv projects, plays, writes and produces music, and is also editor of a small weekly newspaper in upstate New York.

David’s guest is Moonrise Jewelry founder and designer Meredith Lusk. Meredith is deeply rooted in her Eastern Shore of Virginia community, where her family has lived since the 1700s. As a child, she began her entrepreneurial journey in her father’s drug store, the Cheriton Pharmacy, selling hand-made jewelry and sculptures crafted from seashells collected near her home on the Chesapeake Bay. Join David and Meredith as they discuss the challenges and joys of creating a business out of a lifelong passion.

In this special episode of Sharing the Mic with David Phillips, Jim Spione discusses his Barrier Islands Center film, Gatherings, which will have the premiere it was not able to have when it was originally released during the pandemic.

Join us on July 6th at 7:00 p.m., for a screening and Q&A with Jim Spione at the Historic Palace Theatre in Cape Charles. FREE admission. No reservations required.

A good friend of the Barrier Islands Center, Gregg Kimball, was the MC for the recent Art & Music on the Farm event and has been so for that event’s duration. He advises on the programming and frequently performs. His day job is the Director of Outreach and Programming at the Library of Virginia in Richmond.

Beginning her third year as Executive Director of the Barrier Islands Center, Sally Dickinson gives us an update of the State of the BIC and a preview of what’s to come.

Visitors to the Barrier Islands Center will feel Miriam Riggs’ presence throughout the campus, as she has contributed to the visitor experience in many ways. There are her murals, floorcloths, papier-mâché food in one of the exhibits, and the exhibits themselves, which are thoroughly researched to give the viewer that “I’m in the moment” experience.

Dr. Andrew McCoy is a part-time Cape Charles resident and a building construction professor at Virginia Tech's College of Architecture and Urban Studies. His specialty is in research into affordable housing and new building technology. We discuss, among other things, printed house construction.

A. Thomas (Tom) Young grew up in Wachapreague on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and went on to head the Goddard Space Flight Center and Martin Marietta Electronics and Missiles Group. He speaks about his life and his hopes. To better appreciate his contributions, we offer a playlist of videos (link below) about the recent launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAo78A_9-7SYgTvbNIBZmbRzUtrtDW3SY

Thelma Peterson is an accomplished watercolorist whose works are in galleries, restaurants, and public places up and down the Shore. She is also a composer, singer, and songwriter who, along with her daughter, Erica, provide entertainment for Shore folks on a fairly regular basis. Thelma and David will discuss her integral part in founding and building the Barrier Islands Center and her new music CD, Of Salt and Sound.

For the past 12 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 how these films came to be and the evolution of the messages each one has.

George McMath, a native and life-long resident of the Eastern Shore, has had a distinguished career as a newspaper owner and publisher, delegate to the Virginia House of Delegates, author of several books, and a top fundraiser for many charitable organizations. We will discuss life on the Shore in days gone by and some highlights of his life.

Dr. Lloyd Newberry, a frequent visitor to the Shore and author of the book Wings of Wonder: The Remarkable Story of the Cobb Family and the Priceless Decoys They Created on Their Island Paradise. For four decades, Dr. Newberry has been writing hunting and fishing stories chronicling his many adventures in 67 countries and provinces. Dr. Newberry discusses the Cobb family and the fascinating history of Cobb Island.

This is a very special edition of Sharing the Mic with David Phillips. In cooperation with The WHRO Voice and WHRO Public Media, we are bringing you a production of the radio drama Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL by The WHRO Voice Players, featuring David Phillips as Ebenezer Scrooge. From Christmas Eve through the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6), you will be able to enjoy this classic and beloved holiday tale. From the Barrier Island’s Center to you . . . Merry Christmas and ENJOY!

Andrew Barbour is a former travel editor and transplant to the Eastern Shore and has written three children’s books for the Barrier Islands Center. Andrew and David will discuss his background, how he came to write these books, and much more.

Bert Schmidt has been a leader in public media for over 28 years. His face is familiar to those who have watched public television because of his frequent appearances during fund drive season. Bert has passionately sought ways to support local communities through programming and educational services in his 14 years as president and CEO of WHRO Public Media.

Admiral Joseph W. Prueher retired as a 4-Star Admiral in the United States Navy and as the United States Ambassador to China, now lives in Virginia Beach and spends time on his Eastern Shore Farm. Admiral Prueher will talk about his time in the Navy and as Ambassador. His insights are captivating.

Margaret Upshur is a descendent of an old Eastern Shore family, and she and guest host, Max Patten, talk about her work in environmental activism. Margaret was the first BIC intern - the position which Max now occupies.

Our guest for this episode of Sharing the Mic is Dr. Paul Sanho Kim, an associate professor at Old Dominion University. He directs the ODU Symphony Orchestra, teaches conducting and violin, and coordinates the strings area. He is the music director of the Orchestra of the Eastern Shore and the symphony orchestra conductor of the Czech Music Camp for Youth. Kim led performances with the Virginia Symphony, Roanoke Symphony, and university orchestras across the U.S. and China. He was the conductor for Eurythmics star Dave Stewart and his Rock Fabulous Orchestra. He was also the conductor and producer for the album Carl Roskott: Works for Violin, released by Centaur Records.

Kim is the composer of nearly thirty original works. Where Darkness Meets Light, a multimedia composition for violin and cello, was performed at the Chrysler Museum of Art and the 2017 Glass Art Society Conference to critical acclaim, and a digital music album (with Kim on violin) is available on iTunes and CD Baby. His arrangements of Radiohead songs for string quintet Sybarite5 have been performed on NPR’s Performance Today as well as at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and have been released on Sybarite5’s album Everything in Its Right Place. As a violinist, Kim is a member of the Roanoke Symphony, performed with the Virginia Symphony and Maryland Symphony, as well as internationally.

Adagio https://youtu.be/Jetl-f_WG1M

Soft Rain https://youtu.be/9209rOl3gHo

Sybarite 5 - Radiohead remixed for string quintet by Paul Sanho Kim https://sybarite5.bandcamp.com/album/everything-in-its-right-place

Devlin Barrett, whose grandparents owned the land on which the Barrier Islands Center occupies. It was purchased in the late 1990s. Mr. Barrett and his family spent most of the time during the Pandemic on the family farm, which is now adjacent to the Barrier Islands Center. Devlin Barrett writes about the FBI and the Justice Department for the Washington Post and is the author of "October Surprise: How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election." He was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for National Reporting for coverage of Russian interference in the U.S. election. In 2017 he was a co-finalist for both the Pulitzer for Feature Writing and the Pulitzer for International Reporting. He has covered federal law enforcement for more than 20 years and has worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and the New York Post.

Max Patten is a rising 4th-year student at the University of Virginia. He was a summer intern at the Barrier Islands Center assisting with this podcast, as well as “Conversations in the Kitchen” and filming the latest Jim Spione BIC documentary.

Wayne Bell, Jr. is an Eastern Shore native and CEO of Children’s Harbor – an early education and childhood facility. He a member of the Barrier Islands Center’s Board of Directors. We will discuss Wayne’s childhood in Eastville and the influences in his life and what lead him to pursue his career and avocational interests.

Sheri Reynolds is an Eastern Shore of Virginia’s Cape Charles resident and author of The New York Times #1 bestseller, The Rapture of Canaan. Steeped in the rich tradition of southern writers like Carson McCullers and Sue Monk Kidd, her new book The Tender Grave is a gripping story of two estranged sisters who find their unlikely way toward forgiveness and each other through a gruesome and disturbing set of circumstances. We will discuss writing in general, and Sheri will read from The Tender Grave.

Mike Noseworthy is a stellar volunteer at the Barrier Islands Center who retired to the Eastern Shore of Virginia from New York City, where he was on the engineering staff of NBC News. His expertise makes possible the BIC’s series “Conversations in the Kitchen.”

Sally Dickinson is the recently-appointed Executive Director of the Barrier Islands Center. Sally is an able administrator, film producer, educator, events coordinator, and wife and mother.

Over the past 17 years, Laura Vaughan has, with the assistance of able staff and a supportive Board of Directors, created a place not only close to the hearts of residents of the Eastern Shore of Virginia but a distinctive tourist destination. We will discuss the journey that has brought us to where the Barrier Islands Center is today.

Curtis Badger grew up on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, majored in English at Salisbury State University, and spent four years in the US Air Force as a photojournalist. When his enlistment was completed, he returned to the Eastern Shore and began a career photographing and writing about his native coast. His books include Salt Tide - Cycles and Currents of Life Along the Coast, Bellevue Farm: Exploring Virginia’s Coastal Countryside, A Natural History of Quite Waters, The Wild Coast, and Exploring Delmarva. One of his most recent books is A Culinary History of Delmarva. He has won numerous awards for his writing and photography.

Tevya Williams Griffin was born in a quaint close-knit community on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. In 2009 she was riding with her grandmother, Annette Williams, and noticed a building she had probably passed a hundred times in her lifetime. Learning that the building served as a school for African American children during segregation in Cape Charles, she contacted alumni and town leaders to discuss how the building and history could be preserved. Under her leadership, alumni, former faculty, and friends worked two years later to place a state historic marker at the school, and not soon after, the collection of oral histories commenced. Currently serving as the President of the Cape Charles Rosenwald School Restoration Initiative, Tevya strives to be a bridge between diverse communities and bring them together for a greater cause. Tevya serves as the Director of Planning and Codes Compliance for the City of Williamsburg, VA.

New episode December 1st! Honorable Croxton Gordon is a retired Judge for the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court in Accomack and Northampton County. Before becoming a judge, he had a successful law practice on the Eastern Shore. Croxton's many talents and passions include playing the bass and woodworking. He plays a bass that he built as a member of the Orchestra of the Eastern Shore. (Click the link in our bio for this and past episodes!)

Since her retirement and moving permanently to the Eastern Shore, Lee Jordan-Anders has been the gift that keeps giving! You will enjoy hearing about her robust career and her life view of being an artist.