Lee Boynton: Celebrating the Chesapeake

A Lee Boynton Legacy exhibition featuring original paintings and limited edition prints available for sale

September 1 - September 26, 2021

4943 Hine Drive, Shady Side, Maryland 20764

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 4, 4pm - 6pm ~ Reception: Saturday, September 25, 4pm - 6pm

RSVP Required for this private event at Chesapeake Yacht Club. Please contact Martha Boynton at leeboyntonart@gmail.com to attend.

Marine artist Lee Boynton saw beauty and strength in the lives of the men engaged in traditional, time-honored modes of fishing: the watermen on the Chesapeake. Early in his artistic career, he took every opportunity he could to accompany the watermen on their boats as they fished or just to observe and sketch them as they worked. He loved their classic, handcrafted, wooden boats, and all of the elements of their culture that held their close knit communities together. Their methods were slow and hands on, never outstripping the delicate balance of nature.

Lee lived and breathed to tell their story through his art. He captured the last of the skipjack fleet oystering under sail on natural oyster beds in the Maryland waters of the Chesapeake, and the beauty of a longstanding family trap pound fishing operation out of Reedville, VA. Through his paintings we see the lives of these men beautifully interwoven with the wonder of God’s creation, men living in harmony with nature, and harvesting its bounty.

Lee continues to impact the world through the legacy of his art. His paintings speak to us of the importance of being good stewards of God’s beautiful creation. It is not only the source of food for our bodies, it can be the source of artistic inspiration, food for the heart and soul.

Lilac Hill: Restoring Biodiversity

The legacies we leave behind live on, one generation turning the reigns over to the next. Art, gardening, and wildlife conservation are family legacies Lee’s family continues to uphold. Lilac Hill, a six acre family property in Annapolis, MD, has been the backdrop for these legacies over four generations. Lee’s wife, Martha’s grandparents purchased Lilac Hill in March, 1920, the year her mother Liz was born. They farmed the land and gardened as they raised their three children, Martha’s mother, and her two uncles. Martha’s parents, Liz and Bob McWethy, were married on Lilac Hill in October, 1951. Martha and Lee were married there in April, 1980, and Martha’s two sisters not long after. Those of every generation with a strong heart connection to Lilac Hill have spent their final days there in the beauty and peace of the place, including Martha’s grandparents, her parents and Lee.

Liz and Bob McWethy were founders of the Weems Creek Conservancy, and in 1974, they put Lilac Hill, a property on the creek, under a conservation easement with the Maryland Environmental Trust. Liz was an avid gardener and a poet. Her gardens were the inspiration for many of her poems.

Lee painting at Lilac Hill

Properties under a conservation easement are protected from being developed “in perpetuity” — that is forever. The late Dick Lahn, a well known land conservationist, founded The Chesapeake Bay String of Pearls Project in 2002 as a venue through which property owners within the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay who have placed their land under the protection of an easement could be recognized and honored. Lee collaborated with Dick Lahn in joining the arts with the mission of this non profit. Lee had the idea to invite a number of the very select plain air painters to paint on the “pearl properties” and to offer them for sale during their annual fund raising event.

In memory of all the family members who have left their mark in the areas of the arts, gardening and conservation through their lives and a celebration of the 100th year anniversary of Lilac Hill being under the stewardship of this one family, 50% of the sale of the original artwork and 100% of the sale of the prints will go toward the restoration of the gardens at Lilac Hill in concert with creating and maintaining a healthy, functioning ecosystem friendly to wildlife. We hope to set an example to other property owners in how our efforts can play a role in reversing the drastic decline of birds, bees and butterflies, and preserving our planet for future generations.