Celebrate Inland Bays Oyster Week at “Arts on the Half-Shell"

On August 8th, the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays will host “Arts on the Half-Shell” at the Center’s offices at the Indian River Inlet. Chef Hari Cameron, Culinary Director for The Chef’s Table at Touch of Italy, will be joined by a lineup of local top chefs, including Chef Sean Corea of Lewes Oyster House, Chef Ted Deptula, Culinary Director of La Vida Hospitality, and Chef Billy Lucas of Taco Reho. Together, they will craft an array of small plates featuring oysters fresh from the Inland Bays. To complement the dishes, a signature gin-based cocktail, crafted especially for Inland Bays Oyster Week, will be served. An open bar is included with your ticket purchase.

Baltimore-based artist Sherry Insley will present portions of two exhibits, which will also be on display at the Center's office throughout August. Insley's "Blue Hens" series showcases mixed media cyanotype collages on watercolor paper, inspired by natural elements from the James Farm Ecological Preserve and images of Inland Bays oyster shells. Her "Ghost Forest" series is an ongoing exploration using photographic and light-sensitive materials to depict the subtle effects of rising salinity, coastal erosion, and climate change.

“As an artist creating work directly in and about the Delaware coastal environments, it is an honor to be able to share my work with Inland Bays supporters,” says Insley. “My work ‘Blue Hens’ is a mixed media piece created with light-sensitive materials, images of Inland Bays oyster shells, and plant material collected from James Farm Ecological Preserve.”

Tickets are $150 with all proceeds from the night to support the Center’s James Farm Ecological Preserve education campus project. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage in conversations with the chefs and artist and the chance to win an original framed piece by Sherry Insley.