Model Guild

Out of a humble white cabin comes a wealth of projects that could give any boat yard competition. First and foremost the Model Guild supports the curatorial needs of the Museum with display models—one of which is a diorama in the Oystering on the Chesapeake exhibition. Another beneficiary is the Museum’s Education Department. Recently, children enrolled in the Museum’s summer Bay Comber’s Club were provided with models of the Delaware, a tugboat in the floating fleet, to construct. Each year, Guild members conduct four classes to teach modeling skills while making a lapstrake skiff or a half-hull model.

The Guild’s other major project is to assemble model kits to sell in the Museum Store. The kits for sale include Martha (left), a crab skiff, the skipjack Rosie Parks, a lapstrake skiff, and the Hooper Strait Lighthouse. Annual sales of these kits have generated thousands of dollars for the Museum in recent years.

The Model Guild has recently completed a two-year undertaking to redesign the model for Martha. The kit includes laser cut pieces, making it more user-friendly for amateur builders. Having the vessel itself at the Museum allowed the kit designers to take precision measurements, as well as add more details. The new model is available at the Museum Store.

The Model Guild is not a new organization. It was loosely organized in 1990 and headed up by Norm Stewart, an avid model builder who was actively involved at the Museum for many years. Prior to the Guild’s formation, Stewart offered a variety of model building classes. In 1990, the Curatorial Department approached him for assistance to build display models for the Steamboat Building exhibition. Stewart organized a group for the project, which eventually branched into other activities.

Currently, approximately forty volunteers make up the organization. Every Monday and Wednesday morning several members meet to work on their many projects. In addition, a monthly gathering presents an occasion to review current and future endeavors. The group is not all business though: the social atmosphere has been another draw for the Guild. Members enjoy not only the group dynamic, but also the chance to share their love of model building with the public through classes and open houses during the Museum’s festivals.

New members of any experience level are always welcome. According to Bob Mason, the Guild’s current chair, “The enthusiastic cooperation on projects and the opportunity to learn from other members makes the Model Guild an especially enjoyable volunteer activity at the Museum.”

For more information about the Model Guild, please contact Bob Mason at 410-745-3266 or email bmason@bluecrab.org.

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