Crisfield Arts & Entertainment District Board & Staff
Board Members
Brian Sutherland, Chair
Brian Scott Sutherland began a career as a martial arts/self-defense instructor in 1974.
He owned/operated schools (dojo) and retail supply outlets in the Baltimore/Washington area and has trained law enforcement personnel from coast to coast. In 1992, Brian was honored with a Maryland State Senate Resolution recognizing his business leadership. Over the
past 50 years, Brian has earned a total of nine levels of black belt degrees in three traditional Japanese martial arts [Aikido, Judo, Karate]. He has trained/competed in Tokyo, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto, Japan.
Brian lived in Boulder, Colorado as a teenager in high school. Returning to Boulder in 2000, he and his wife Karen owned Boulder Fine Arts, a company dealing in antiquarian books and fine art internationally. Brian joined his brother’s business, Boulder Art Tile, as Production Manager, and soon became Executive Director. Boulder Art Tile, manufactured ceramic
art tiles and murals for artists, school districts, government installations, libraries, hospitals, and large-scale fundraising projects. He established Boulder Aikido dojo, teaching part-time while occasionally conducting seminars throughout Colorado and Maryland. Brian studied Creative Writing, Music Theory, and American Jazz History at Front Range Community College. His obsession with playing drums continues to this day.
In 2014, Brian and Karen stumbled across Crisfield on a business trip and fell in love with the town and its people. In 2015 they moved to a shabby 1895 Victorian house in Crisfield, spending the next several years restoring and updating the property. Brian refreshed his lifetime hobby and began creating art again in 2022, displaying his paintings in the local galleries. He contributes to the Somerset County Arts Council by hosting Scotty's Jukebox
and Scotty's Ska and Reggae show weekly on the local radio station, WBYC. Brian still enjoys gardening, martial arts, and playing multiple musical instruments. Currently, his passion is to help improve and promote his favorite place to be, Crisfield, Maryland.
Jim Neal, Vice-Chair
jim@jdneal.com
Jim is a ten-year veteran of the U.S Naval Submarine Service and has a bachelor’s degree in Education, Training, and Development. He has been an instructor of many specialties for over 30 years. He has worked for technology companies in the Communications, Data, and Medical Imaging fields. Jim currently works for FUJIFILM in the non-destructive testing industry providing digital radiography solutions for companies specializing in electronics, oil and gas, aerospace, and the military.
Jim and his wife Carolyn are residents of Crisfield, are avid photographers, and have been involved with the CAED District since its inception. They have volunteered many hours to renovate the Corbin Studio and to CAED Events over the years.
Betty Schulz, Secretary
Born and raised in Baltimore, Betty has also lived in Northern Arizona (on the Navajo Reservation), Saudi Arabia, and NE Pennsylvania. Her house in Crisfield was built in the late 1980's. Over the last few years renovations have been added to allow it to be a full time residence.
She was trained as an RN and continued school at the University of Maryland, Baltimore to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Most of her professional life has been spent working with children and families with special needs. The last 23 years of her career was spent employed by Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) in Baltimore working with homeless families.
While in Arizona, working in the high school, she learned many of the traditions of the Navajo People (the Dine), including the relationship between their art and spirituality. This experience changed her relationship with nature, art, and the world around her.
During her time with HCHI worked with the National HCH Council, planning programs for homeless families nationwide, advocating nationally and locally for services and programs for homeless families and children and their families living in poverty. Also in her work in the Baltimore HCH program she assisted with arts programs for the children and their families who were living in the shelters. She coordinated with a local organization to provide poetry readings and writing assistance (of which an amazing book of poetry was created by the children) and art in the form of a mural painting in one of the shelters.
Her volunteer projects over the years include: Spring festival planning for the PTA for children's schools, fundraising projects for the Children's Health Outreach Project of HCH in Baltimore, and assisting with the planning and implementation of a feeding program for needy people in Baltimore.
She is currently retired and looking for a chance to use her experience and skills to bring the arts and other opportunities to Crisfield for all its people.
"This town has an abundance of beauty, history and talent that I would also love to share with others."
Jackie Miller, Board Member
jackiemiller5463@comcast.net
Jackie lives with her husband in Marion Station, just a few minute's drive from Crisfield. She graduated from Spring Woods High School-Houston, Texas, with an Art Major. She has worked with Chesapeake Publishing, The Avenue Newspaper, and The Baltimore Guide Newspaper. Currently, she is a freelance commercial artist for commissioned works. She works well in all mediums and specializes in watercolors. Her subject matter ranges from house portraits to still life to landscapes and wildlife. She has won
awards in many juried shows in Maryland as well as hosting several solo shows. Jackie also serves as a board member of the Somerset County Arts Council and Gallery and is published in Artist of the Mid-Atlantic.
Jennifer Merritt, Board Member
Jennifer Merritt serves as the representative for the City of Crisfield, where she is the Grant Administrator. Jen served in the grant-funded position as Circuit Rider for the City of Crisfield from 2016- 2019. While serving in this role, she wrote over $3 million in successful grant applications as well as the Crisfield Arts & Entertainment District application to the Maryland Department of Commerce. She has a broad extent of professional experience, ranging from creating websites to conducting shows with live reptiles. Jen has a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy, with both degrees from George Mason University. She is a "casual" painter, and looks forward each year to the Hangin' Out Art Show.
Bruce Stasi, Board Member
bruces@redicall.com
Bruce has diverse experience with teaching, education, and the arts. He holds a degree specializing in early Childhood Education. He has been a school teacher and has volunteered in the teaching field as well. He has also served on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona working for Bureau of Indian Affairs. Bruce has worked in London, England, for CineBuild Pty Ltd, a special effects company for film and television. In 2003 Bruce partnered with Carol Heck to start Shore Answer LLC, an answering service company, in Georgetown, DE. He has lived in Crisfield since 2003 and in 2013, with Carol, he started WBYC 107.3 Crisfield Community Radio.
Christina Holden, Board Member
christina19709@aol.com
Christina Carlson is an artist who finds inspiration through her infinite love of nature. She began by utilizing her beachcombing collection of sea glass, driftwood, and other natural materials to produce beautiful, framed works of art. Most recently, Christina has begun working with watercolor and acrylics, incorporating vibrant color into her pieces. She enjoys sharing her passions and inspiring others to seek their own creative expression through artist workshops. She is passionate about outdoors, so it’s no surprise to hear she serves as a State Park Ranger in her professional career.
Jesse Halpern, Board Member
jjhalpern@umes.edu; www.jessejamesphotography.com
Jesse started with photography at an early age in the family darkroom in the basement. Having always had a deep love for the process of image making and documenting life around him, he chose to pursue photography in university. Graduating with a degree in Advertising Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2000, he moved to New York city to pursue his career as a commercial photographer. Having assisted for some of the industries’ top photographers he then launched his own commercial photography business in 2002. Shooting for clients like the Village Voice, Canyon Ranch Resorts, Travel Holiday Magazine, and various other clients: Jesse James photography had carved it’s place in the field of commercial photography. Many shoots and clients later the opportunity to travel and photograph in Asia presented itself, so Jesse packed up his camera bags and headed abroad. As an English and Photography teacher in Korea for the next ten years, Jesse was able to pursue his business internationally as well as his own fine-art photography projects. This inspired him to attend the New Hampshire Institute of the Arts in 2016, where he completed his Masters of Fine Arts in Photography in the summer of 2018. He has exhibited his photographs both nationally and internationally. Jesse is currently the Commercial Photography Coordinator at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He spends his time pursuing personal photography projects as well as taking on commercial clients on and off the Eastern Shore.
Stan Rayford, Board Member
restoration_pastorstan@yahoo.com
Stan is co-founding senior pastor of Restoration Fellowship Tabernacle of Detroit, Michigan along with his wife, Robin. Previously, he served as youth pastor at Southwestern Church of God, associate pastor at Harvest Christian Church of Michigan and as interim pastor at Lincoln Park Church of God, all in the metro-Detroit area.
He is a pastoral counselor at Life Restoration Counseling & Psychological Services which was founded by his wife, Robin, a clinical psychotherapist and psychoanalyst for adults and children. Stan’s specialty is pre-marital, marital and family counseling.
Stan is a retired marketing professional employed by the DuPont Company for 30 years. While at DuPont he served as an advertising and promotion specialist and became the global leader and regional manager of marketing communications for the automotive market and engineering polymers products.
Academically, Stan earned his MA in Pastoral Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary along with an MA in Religious Studies. He has completed undergraduate work in the School of Journalism at the University of South Carolina. He is presently pursuing his doctorate degree in community counseling and education.
Stan’s hobbies include listening to all genres of music but especially jazz. Three years ago he fulfilled a childhood dream by becoming an internet radio DJ launching a program called “Inspirational Jazz,” a seldom heard genre of music that features an inspirational or gospel message presented by jazz musicians and vocalists. “Inspirational Jazz” launched on EAMT Radio in Detroit and is now heard Sundays at 6pm on WBYC-FM Crisfield, Maryland along with Stan’s “Just Jazz” Monday nights at 9. Stan also broadcasts the best of “Inspirational Jazz” daily, 24 hours, on his own Restoration Radio internet station which can be downloaded through Google Play or the Apple Store on your cell phones or tablets. Download “restoration music.”
He enjoys writing and in 2021 published his first book, Expectation, Disappointment & Hope. He is an amateur in photography and loves to capture God’s “fowls of the air”- eagles, herons, seagulls, and birds of every kind.
Stan and his wife, Robin spend many “date nights” viewing movies and having insightful discussions between the two of them or on occasion presenting to an audience of others whether to enlighten film enthusiasts or to encourage couples in marriage enhancement workshops. Together Stan and Robin enjoy traveling and spending time with family, especially their daughter, Heather, her husband, Eric, and their precious daughter, granddaughter Emily.
Stan and Robin have recently established a residence in Crisfield, Maryland while maintaining residence in Troy, Michigan as they continue to move toward completion of the ministry worked they have been called to do awaiting God’s timing for handing the leadership over to a successor and the next generation.
Andrea Garrison, Board Member
My name is Andrea Garrison. I enjoy learning how to use a variety of craft and art supplies and find ways to combine supplies to make my own creations. I currently work at the Crisfield Library as a Programming Assistant, so I am now in charge of the Adult and Teen programs. I am also currently the Secretary of the Somerset County Art Council and a Co-Op member at the Corbin.
Kathryn Endein Redden, Board Member
Kathryn is active within the arts as an artist and performer. She also instructs public speaking, leadership, and grant writer and mentors individuals in their professional growth.
She is the President of Lower Shore Performing Arts Company providing live performing arts events, arts alive education programs for adults and children in public speaking, art forms, writing and techniques for actors. As an actress she has performed diverse roles in hundreds of shows from Truvy in Steel Magnolias to a suspect in The Thin Man murder mystery, Lovey Howell in Gilligan’s Island the musical and most recently a movie role as Resel, a Russian woman in It Is Well by Power Production Ministries. She is a Toastmasters Gold Certified Speaker. She possesses a BA in Art History from James Madison University and a Masters in Education at Salisbury University.
Kathryn’s corporate experience includes Human Resources in various industries; Leadership Development (design and delivery); Diversity and Manpower Planning; Strategic Planning; Business Development; Lean 6 Sigma and Process improvement; Communication and Performance Management. She is now a full-time visual artist and participant in the performing arts and nonprofit organizations.
She serves as a board member on Crisfield Arts Syndicate/ Gallery 413, a patient member of the Hematology Pharmacology Patient Advisory Board (HOPA) and a cancer advocate. Her memberships include the Worcester County Arts Council Co-0p; Corbin Gallery and Studio Cooperative, Crisfield Arts and Entertainment District, Somerset County Arts Council, Art League of Ocean City, Plein Air “Tailgate Artists”.
Her art business is Hope Feathers Studio. Kathryn’s art can be seen in Worcester County Arts Council gallery and website, Windmill Creek Winery and Atlantic General Hospital John “Jack” Burbage Regional Cancer Care Center, all in Berlin MD; Corbin Gallery and Studio and website and Gallery 413 both located in Crisfield, MD; Art League of Ocean City, Ocean City MD; Hair Studio 720 in Salisbury MD; Delmarva’s Discovery Museum Shop, Morgan’s Gift Shop and Christmas Sweet all in Pocomoke MD.
Kathryn has received numerous awards for her art work. She has spoken at various conferences regarding the inspiration for her art and life challenge with cancer. She loves farm life as wife, mother, grandmother.
Staff
Arts and Entertainment Coordinator:
Cheryl Hires
Arts and Entertainment Facilitator:
Karen Sutherland
Karen grew up in Salisbury and spent many years in Maryland before moving to Boulder, Colorado with her family. Karen spent over twenty years in retail, from managing a high-volume Copy and Print Center to overseeing a large Northeastern Region with over ninety stores. She also was an assistant manager for three Office Depot stores, before returning to her roots of copying, printing, and design. After retirement, Karen moved back to the shore in 2015, and with her husband has been restoring an old Victorian House in Crisfield. Karen joined the Crisfield Arts & Entertainment District team in February 2023 as their Workshop Facilitator and Social Media Manager. Working in the copy and print business
gives Karen a unique perspective, working with artists and their work by creating flyers and videos. In addition, while not an artist, she aspires to create workshops for Crisfield that are useful and bring out participants' creativity. Karen also volunteers as program director for WBYC 107.3 Community Radio.