Women Who Work the Waters of Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay, North America’s largest estuary, is a treasure of intermingled saltwater and freshwater. Its wetlands nourish countless species, forming a food chain that supports oysters, clams, crabs, finfish, and ultimately, humanity. At the pinnacle of this ecosystem are the watermen, whose tenacity and love for the Bay drive their work and their advocacy. Among them, the Bad-Ass women of the Chesapeake Bay, fishing Maryland and Virginia waters, shine as symbols of resilience and inspiration—a testament to the power of grit, community, and passion.
“I’ll say one thing about working in this historically male culture,” Debbie concludes, “and that is a woman has to be tough skinned to do it.
I mean, think about it. It takes a special Bad-Ass kind of woman.”
Meet the Creators
Mitzi Bernard
Mitzi Bernard was born in the small rural farm town of Columbia, Kentucky. She lives on a small farm in Friendship, Maryland with her husband, two horses, three dogs, and four cats. She has one beautiful daughter, Zoe.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from the, University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
She founded and worked for United Cerebral Palsy of Southern Maryland, later called Bay Community Support Services, an organization that supports people with disabilities in Southern Maryland. Now she works as a full-time artist.
Much of Mitzi’s art speaks to the strength and power of women, their incredible beauty, their challenges and society's value judgments. Her art is inspired by her experiences as a female growing up in the 1970s and her business experience founding and leading a successful nonprofit.
Mitzi’s art tells stories. She specializes in paper collaging where thousands of tiny pieces of paper are glued together to form a cohesive narrative. Each piece of art tells its own unique story of female strength and power. Her art is considered “outsider” art—distinct from traditional fine art.
Learn more about Mitzi at MitziBernardArt.com
Collage Artist & Photographer
Mick Blackistone
Mick Blackistone hails from one of Maryland’s first families. Ancestors settled in St. Marys County in 1637 on the Potomac River. He began his career as press secretary to Senator Richard Schweiker, He worked as a Fed for nine years as confidential assistant to the Commissioner of the U.S. Public Building Service. When he turned thirty, he left the government and opened his public relations firm in Annapolis, Maryland, serving over eighty-five clients in the maritime industry and others for the next fifteen years. During this time he was asked to run the Anne Arundel Marine Trades Association and then recreate the Marine Trades Association as executive director, fulfilling legislative, media and public relations responsibilities.
By the time he was hired to be vice president of government relations for the National Marine Manufacturers Association in 1991 he had authored two children’s books, one non-fiction, one poetry, and one trade book. He retired in 2002, and it wasn’t long that he was hired by the Maryland Watermen’s Association to be editor and writer of the monthly Watermen’s Gazette and two years later also executive director of Crab Restoration Around the Bay. During this time and into retirement he continued writing books related to the Chesapeake Bay and her people.
Learn more about Mick at MickBlackistone.com
Author
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