The trees are bare, reaching their skeletal branches towards somber, sodden skies. Our boat is out of the water, our kayaks piled up in the basement, as the cold, wet, Mid-Atlantic winter settles in. Well, the birds may have flown south to warmer pastures, but I’m stuck here, and as a certified winter wimp, this year I’ve made an early resolution—not to go into winter hibernation mode, which usually involves wearing sweatpants and eating more than I ought. This winter, I’m determined to get out and see the world around me, but there’s one catch: I want to stay warm.

That’s why, when sitting rather lump-like on my couch one night, the bare spot above our fireplace became the inspiration for a cold-weather Eastern Shore road trip. I wanted to find a piece of art that warmed up the room and evoked the region where we try to spend many of our warmer days. Luckily, the Lower Eastern Shore is filled with places to get a taste of local talent, while enjoying a view of the Shore the summer tourists don’t get to see.

They’ve even made it official. In 2001, Maryland became the first state in the nation to sponsor Arts and Entertainment Districts, and communities are eagerly taking advantage of the program, which offers tax incentives for creating a destination where galleries, cultural venues, and resident artists can thrive. Of the state’s current fourteen arts districts, four are in small towns on the Eastern Shore. Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset counties even produce a brochure and map marking galleries and artists’ studios throughout the Lower Shore.

I’m eager to see places where art is becoming a major attraction, and with no traffic in the off season, the car journey is actually fun. As we fly down the empty expanse of Route 50, we trade outlet malls for farmers’ fields, populated by massive flocks of starlings, picking over the last of the harvest’s gleanings and holding conferences on telephone wires. I can see why this landscape would inspire creativity, whatever the season.

It doesn’t take long to reach the first stop on our cultural tour, the city of Salisbury. The “crossroads of Delmarva” may be better known as the capital of the Perdue chicken empire, but the bird lobby isn’t the only game in town. The downtown area, a historic district with a tree-lined main shopping street, is home to the beginning of an arts revival.

But when we arrive, the quiet pedestrian-friendly area is almost deserted. We duck into the Gallery Building, which does indeed house an arts venue—the Art Institute and Gallery, down a flight of stairs on the ground floor. The small space is a hive of activity, as a team of volunteers cleans up the leftovers from their holiday bazaar. I turn to what’s on the walls, a mixed media “3D and 2D Exhibit,” with pieces ranging from abstract spatters to fish-shaped metal sculptures.

Most shows here profile local artists, though the gallery has one national juried show a year. Last year, one-fifth of the forty-five works selected were from Lower Shore artists. “That says a lot about the quality of art in the area,” says board president Ray Vorus, who walks out of the offices right behind the gallery walls. The Institute also has many quality teachers, including pencil drawing teacher and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Merchant, a former member of Doo-Wop legends Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers. I’m quickly learning that the Lower Shore has many hidden artistic gems, and Vorus is determined to share them.

“Our mission is to bring everyone into the world of the arts, even if you’re not an artist,” he says, as I take a peek into the classrooms adjoining the gallery space. I wouldn’t consider Salisbury’s downtown an arts destination just yet, but with this kind of energy, it won’t be long before it is.

The sky is a brilliant blue as we head out to another riverfront arts town, Snow Hill. This agricultural county seat is Maryland’s newest arts district, and we’ve just missed their monthly “First Friday” event, where shops and galleries stay open late and bring in artists and musicians to meet the public. A mere 2,400 residents support three museums and multiple galleries and crafts shops, and the former livery stables, machine shops, and red-brick supply stores have been converted into stunning gallery spaces.

There is one issue though—winter hours. Especially in the quiet months of January and February, many of the area shops have limited openings or close entirely. It’s best to call ahead to make sure your place of choice is open. Things are pretty quiet as we stop into Artiques, a space with soaring wooden-beam ceilings and quality local oils and watercolors all over the walls. Like many art-oriented businesses on the Shore, this gallery pairs art sales with another venture, in this case, antiques and custom framing.

I like the small and simple, and a series of four tiny but thickly textured oils by Robert Grant evokes the surrounding countryside in all four seasons. I’m highly tempted, but not yet ready to invest. Larger landscapes by David Morgan and Patrick Henry also jump out.

“We’re letting the world know that we have something to offer,” Henry says of the growing community of Lower Shore artists. Having just opened a new gallery space and studio in Berlin with local photographer Geren Mortensen, Jr., the veteran oil painter is delighted with the interest in the area’s fine arts scene. “It’s gotten to the point where I can’t keep up with demand for my work,” he tells me.

Henry’s hometown, Berlin, is the anchor of any arts tour of the Lower Shore. The town is one of the area’s brightest cultural spots, with over a dozen shops and galleries, which feature events and exhibitions year-round. When we arrive, the streets are full of window shoppers, and the week’s program is already full—a reception for an exhibition of rare Afghan carpets at the Globe Theater, an open mic night at the Waterline Gallery, and Second Friday, Berlin’s monthly late night shopping and entertainment event. (They’ve made sure not to conflict with Snow Hill.)

We haven’t yet found the perfect painting, but I can’t resist handmade jewelry, so we stick our heads into the j.j. Fish Studio and Gallery, home to co-artists and co-owners John and Judy Fisher. John is hard at work at the glass torch, fashioning colorful pendants. As I pick up one of John’s Japanese-influenced silver Torii earrings, Judy tells me that even in the off season, she’s been pleasantly surprised by the number of visitors. “It’s a mix of upscale folks and local farmers,” she says of her clientele. “We need to have something for everyone.” 

In Berlin, I do feel like we’ve seen a little bit of everything—from true fine art to handmade crafts, nothing here has been painted by numbers.

Thirsty on the long drive back to the Bay Bridge, we stop at the Bennett farm stand in Hebron, surrounded by some of the most gloriously kitschy yard art I’ve seen. Among the pink flamingoes, gazing balls, and wooden lighthouses, I see a few small clay flowerpots covered with pretty garden scenes. A sign next to them says the magic words: “Locally Painted.” I’ll have to fill that space above my mantel some other time, I think, as I finally reach for my wallet.

For gallery contact info, see page 124.

Sara Edelson writes from Washington, D.C.

For general arts information on the Lower Shore arts scene, the Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Committee has a website promoting cultural arts from the area. They also have a pamphlet and map with contact details for artists and galleries. 410-651-4420 or http://www.skipjack.net/artists. The town of Berlin maintains a meticulous calendar about arts events in the area: http://www.berlinmdarts.org