Maryland Day Celebration at the CAC: March 21-March 22, 2026
Gallery Hours : Saturday: 10 am - 2 pm & Sunday 10am-2pm
The Chesapeake Arts Center has partnered with Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area and Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County for the annual Maryland Day Celebration! This year’s celebration takes place March 19, 2026 - March 25, 2026, around Anne Arundel County.
Saturday, March 21, 2026:
10:30 am-11:30 am: In our Stories and Art in the Galleries program, come explore local landmarks in the story “Good Night Maryland,” and create a friendly Maryland crab out of all kinds of materials. Ideal for ages 2-9. An Adult must be present with the kids. Free!
12:30 pm-2:30 pm: Create your own Maryland coasters using Maryland icons and color in an all-ages art workshop. Free!
Take a tour of Maryland-themed events throughout the weekend around the North and West County, starting with CAC’s galleries and our exhibit “Her Maryland: Stories that Inspire” featuring artwork documenting and celebrating Maryland women icons.
To view all Maryland Day events in Anne Arundel County, visit MarylandDay.org.
What is Maryland Day?
Maryland Day, March 25th, commemorates the formal founding of the colony of Maryland, when the newly-arrived colonists erected a cross on St. Clement’s Island, offered prayers (perhaps by saying Mass), and took “possession of this Countrey for our Saviour and for our soveraigne Lord the King of England.” According to one of the three versions of Father Andrew White’s account of the voyage of the Ark and the Dove, this event took place on 25 March 1633/34 at the colonists’ first landfall in Maryland. In the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, this day is the Feast of the Annunciation, or “our blessed Ladies day” as Father White termed it, referring to the Virgin Mary. After consulting with the “Emperor of the Piscataway” and the “King of Yaocomoco,” Leonard Calvert, governor of the colony, negotiated the purchase of land on a nearby tributary of the Potomac River. This became the site of St. Mary’s City, the colony’s first settlement. Marylanders began observing Maryland Day in 1903, when the State Board of Education designated it as a day to be devoted to the study of Maryland history. In 1916, the General Assembly authorized the celebration of Maryland Day as a legal state holiday.
The versions of Father White’s narrative can be read in the “Archives of Maryland Online,” here:
Volume 551 – A Relation of the Successful Beginning of the Lord Baltimore’s Plantation in Mary-land
Volume 552 – A Brief Relation of the Voyage Unto Maryland
Volume 657 – A Relation of Maryland, 1635
Further reading:
Want to know more about “Maryland Day” and what it stands for? Read an article by Dr. Jean Russo on this topic. Understanding Maryland Day – updated
In The Galleries
HER Maryland: Stories that Inspire
A group exhibition featuring Maryland Women Icons
Hal Gomer Gallery I March 11-April 7, 2026
Reception: March 26, 2026 6-8 pm
HER Maryland: Stories that Inspire exhibition brings to life the extraordinary stories of Maryland’s women icons through a vibrant celebration of art and history. From pioneers and trailblazers to artists, leaders, and changemakers, each work illuminates the vision, strength, and creativity that have shaped Maryland’s culture. This exhibition honors their legacies, sparks reflection, and inspires audiences to recognize the influence and transformative power of women across generations.
Deadline for applications - Friday, January 23, 2026. For more information and how to apply, please visit our application here.
This exhibit is on view in our Hal Gomer Gallery from March 11 to April 7, 2026.
The Game We Play
A solo exhibition by The Artist Oliver James
Patricia Barland Gallery I February 25-April 7, 2026
Reception: March 26, 2026, 6-8 pm
The Game We Play is a new series from The Artist Oliver James. A play on "The Debt You Owe," a previous series about national wealth built on native land, this new series aims to put the focus on Black towns, cities, and communities that disappeared overnight. An attempt at celebrating what was created, but also a realization of a current reality in their absence. While there isn't a monopoly on gentrification, it's a game that African Americans know all too well. A game of cultural, mental, and physical survival on the move.
This exhibit is on view in our Patricia Barland Gallery from February 25 to April 7, 2026.