Decoy Carving
Rue was a master artist in Maryland Traditions’ first Folk Arts and Culture Apprenticeship Program in 2004. He trained his apprentice, Steven Foxwell, on the finer points of decorative wildfowl art. Together, their work was featured in an exhibition at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art. In the summer of 2004, Rue participated in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. where he proudly represented the state of Maryland and its decoy carving tradition. His stories of his friendship with the Ward brothers are captured in the CD/book "From Bridge to Boardwalk: An Audio Journey Across Maryland’s Eastern Shore.”
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The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury University honors and preserves the legacy of the Ward brothers. Located in Salisbury Maryland, it is the key interpretive center for the preservation, promotion, exhibition, and development of programming related to the bird carving tradition of America. The galleries trace the decoy’s beginnings as a hunter’s tool to attract wildfowl through its evolution into the brilliant art form known worldwide as decorative bird carving. The museum sponsors the nation’s largest carving competition and exhibition each spring in Ocean City, Maryland. At the start of fall hunting season the Ward Museum hosts its annual Chesapeake Wildfowl Expo. Continuing in the tradition of early decoy contests, the work of contemporary decoy makers is inspected and judged on the water for its ability to draw birds into a gunner’s range. This convening of community members, scholars, carvers and collectors, ensures the continuity of the distinctive life ways and cultural heritage of the Chesapeake Bay region.
The decoy is a folk art expression now accessible to all. Classes in decoy carving are offered throughout the region, yet it is more often learned informally out of necessity. Contemporary bird carvers convene regularly at waterfowling events, where they share their stories and talents with each other and the general public. Bird carvers also share techniques and critiques on internet forums as well as in their workshops. Decoys are often spotted in antique stores, local gift shops, and live and on-line auctions. Born of the dynamic vision and artistry of the Ward brothers, Rue, and other past masters, Maryland’s bird carving tradition continues to adapt and thrive within the cultural norms of the 21 st century.
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