Delaware Bay Watermen’s Memorial

Committee Meeting

September 5, 2013

Meghan called the meeting to order at 10:40 AM. Present were Ed Adams, Alvina Baum, Jacqueline McBride, Will Hemsley and Laura Johnson.

  • Dr. McBride found Mr.William Hemsley on the web and asked him to the meeting
  • He and his father live on the Eastern Shore and designed the Maryland Watermen’s MemorialMonument
  • He gave us a portfolio of his work, and posters of the Maryland monument
  • The circumstances and setting for the monument are very similar to ours
  • Will (Hemsley) envisions a time when there will be a series of these memorials which constitute a chain of art that people could visit, much like the lighthouse tours
  • Will made some suggestions for consideration of the committee:
  • the entire community should be involved
  • The surroundings should be an integral part of the memorial
  • That the art needs to be accessible to all so that it can be touched and climbed on
  • All agreed that the monument should evoke a “heart reaction”
  • Will suggested that we envision a trio of figures
  • A waterman holding an oyster
  • Behind him, two others (woman and child?) looking as if to heaven or out to sea, symbolizing the loved ones who stay at home and wait for their men to come home safely
  • The monument should be constructed of local materials
  • Perhaps have a base of oyster shells
  • Must look as if it belongs in the environment
  • Monument should be place where it can be seen by the boats coming up and down the river
  • Meghan would like to move the access ramp for the Meerwald to the center dock and put the monument on the first dock (O Dock)
  • Funding for the Maryland monument was 2/3 by the state, some from arts council, and $100, 000 from private sources.
  • Will said he worked with the committee on the funding.
  • They made a small limited edition maquette of the statue for biggest donors
  • Also made posters of the envisioned memorial for donors
  • Many contractors for his project donated their services
  • Will would work with us, traveling the two hours for meetings, if we chose him to do the project
  • The committee asked Mr. Hemsley to send us a sample RFP for a job of this type and he said that he would do so
  • How to decide whom to memorialize?
  • Ed Adams from the Port Norris Historical Society has found the names of over 80 people who lost their lives in the bay, but some may be missing
  • How can we put some names on the monument and not others?
  • Ask family members to submit names and money
  • For those who were lost at sea and do not have relatives in town, Rachel Cobb is spreading a wide net with her computer, finding people who have moved away
  • Revitalize Port Norris with the Memorial
  • Appeal to people who wish to see this area revitalized
  • The monument could be an attraction that would bring people to the area, and who would then stay and spend money
  • If we continue to add attractions in Bivalve, others will take note and hopefully add their own attractions
  • Meghan has received notice of an EDA grant that may help us fund the memorial
  • She would like to develop a gateway to the Bivalve area which would increase visitorship by developing new businesses in town
  • Will has a painting done by his father of an oyster shucking house and he will send us a copy.
  • In order to be successful, we need to connect to the wider world, and a memorial is one way to do that.
  • Will has family connections that might help us get funding
  • Private funding is preferable to public as there are fewer strings attached
  • Logistics
  • Will we need waterfront development permits?
  • Uncertain at this point, but historically, working with the township has been more difficult than working with other government entities
  • We have a riparian grant which should make it easier for us
  • We would need Army Corps of Engineers, CAFRA and perhaps other approvals
  • State Historic Preservation Fund would need to approve it
  • The cost estimate is about $200,000 and it would take about 8 months to build, with a lead time of another 7-8 months for planning and fund raising
  • We should use storytelling as part of the experience of the memorial
  • Will’s brother is a documentary film maker and might be able to film our meetings
  • Video is a powerful tool and we could use it in the memorial process in some way
  • Next steps
  • Continue to meet and talk
  • Explore grant possibilities
  • Once we have a concensus, put out an open call for submissions so that we will attract artists of a high caliber
  • An arts council can help with names
  • This should result in a wide array of submissions
  • Clay maquettes cost about $2000
  • Next Meeting
  • The committee set October 3 at 10:00 AM for the next meeting.

Laura S. Johnson

September 10, 2013