This spring, the Washington College Center for Environment and Society (CES) officially opened MuSE: A Community Museum, which will host rotating exhibits in downtown Chestertown highlighting Washington College teaching, experiential learning, and research focused on the environment and society.

“We’re excited to welcome the community into this new, innovative, and collaborative space,” said CES Director Valerie Imbruce.

MuSE’s first exhibit showcases the nature and culture of the Chesapeake Bay region through the final projects by Washington College’s Chesapeake Semester students. Their hand-drawn maps, visual journals, and other writing and visual arts give visitors a sense of the unique ecosystem, solutions to environmental problems, and the nexus between science, policy, and people’s everyday lives. 

The students were guided by Chesapeake Semester faculty members Kate Livie and Sara Clarke-De Reza—who is education department chair and director of the museum, field, and community education minor—alongside Raven Bishop, assistant director of educational technology. Together, they wrote and designed much of the material surrounding the student projects.

“The Chesapeake Semester is such a unique opportunity afforded to Washington College by our location here on the historically, culturally, and ecologically rich Eastern Shore,” Clarke-De Reza said. “This exhibit expands visitors’ understanding of the human and social dimensions of environmental issues.”

Hannah Choi ’26 said it was surreal to see her work, including visual journals, photographs, and designed panels, in the gallery. “Somewhere, childhood me is excited,” she said. 

Mason Phalan ’25 created an interactive kids’ space, including prompts and a magnetic food web. He said it was a challenge synthesizing the information and making the concepts accessible to kids.

Located at 210 South Cross Street, MuSE is open on First Fridays from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. “Teaching & Transformation: Semester in the Chesapeake Classroom” will remain on display through August 2024.