Arts & Culture
Sound Waves
The Honeyhawks
Music, like literature, explores many themes—usually boiling down to love, life, and loss. In this column we discuss the locals that play the music; however, this duo epitomizes potentially the most widely sung-about theme there is. Lelah and Jay Eppenbach’s love story began in the city of romance when Lelah […]
Artisans Corner
Rachael Shubin of Piper and Pearl Co.
Rachel Shubin is on that l-o-n-g list of people who used to vacation but now lives in Cape May. Raised in Fairfax, Virginia, she spent annual summer vacations here as a child, and knew she wanted to move here after college. “I was always sad when we left Cape May, […]
Artist in Residence
Victor Grasso
“The painting shows a young boy talking to a giant wolf, symbolizing an escape from reality. This magical scene represents a journey into a fantasy world where the boy finds freedom and adventure, leaving behind the constraints of everyday life.” Prodigious Lycanthropy Oil on canvas20” x 24”
Antiquing Around Town
Carnival Glass
Summer often reminds us of carefree days with fun houses, boardwalk games, prizes, and carnivals. Long ago, a fanciful novelty in luminescent glass became the coveted prize at these venues. When Carnival Glass is held up to the light and rotated, a wave of colors and distortions appear like a […]
Victorian Vignette
How Victorians Celebrated July 4
Beginning on Decoration Day and ending on Labor Day, everyone in Victorian America in the late 1800s held picnics. It was summertime, and getting outside, spreading a cloth or blanket, and enjoying the fresh air, fresh food, and sunshine was good for the mind and body. Family and group picnics […]
The Islander
Roz Johnson
Roz Johnson welcomed me into her home with an excitement reserved for a best friend’s long-awaited return. This was not someone who had agreed to an interview to tell her story, but someone who had agreed to an interview to share her passion for life with others. Freshly baked orange […]
Artisans Corner
Molly Bernstein
In a resort town like Cape May, souvenirs are ubiquitous, running from sweatshirts and tees to saltwater taffy and mugs. But a Molly Bernstein mug looks less like something you’d pick up at a souvenir shop and more like something you’d find in a gallery. The West Cape May native […]
Artist in Residence
Audrey Beckert
Looking Up at the Lighthouse II16” x 12”Acrylic on canvas “This is my favorite view of the lighthouse, from the little side parking lot as you enter the grounds. I like the texture details in this piece, the solid brickwork surrounded by a cloudy sky and soft trees below.”
Sound Waves
Fat Mezz
When people say, “They don’t make music like they used to,” they aren’t talking about Fat Mezz. And if you hear someone say that you should tell them about Fat Mezz. This up-and-coming band of gifted musicians caught the eyes and ears of the community when they arrived on the […]
Artisans Corner
Laurie Milligan of Sweetest Song Pottery
When Laurie Milligan was a child, she didn’t have visions of being an artist when she grew up. “I wanted to be Snow White,” she told us. “I had black hair, and I wanted a prince to kiss me. Joe eventually did.” That Joe is her husband, fellow creative and […]
Antiquing Around Town
The Craftsman Style
There’s a Craftsman library table waiting for you at Treehouse Antiques in Lower Township. It’s constructed of quarter-sawn oak with cutout detailing and square drawer knobs. Although not a Gustave Stickley piece, it contains many of the same elements. Oak wood, machine carved detail, wooden drawer dowels instead of machine-made […]
Artist in Residence
Paula Pagliughi
Looking Up 14” x 24” Acrylic “I’m usually gazing at the horizon and enjoying the beauty of the ocean as I walk along the beach. This late summer day, the clouds above the dunes caught my attention, and I then noticed the houses nestled behind the dunes and grasses. Looking up: an […]
The Islander
Harry Bellangy
I had hoped to meet Cape May historian Harry Bellangy over coffee or to sit on a park bench. Instead, Harry insisted on meeting at the home of the Greater Cape May Historical Society. It’s the building commonly known as Colonial House and was built in 1730 to operate as […]
Sound Waves
Hannah Stone
The presence of music was always there for Hannah Stone, and she has continuously made it more her own. From growing up singing with her church for years to attending the Los Angeles School of Music and touring with original songs, she harnessed the courage and ambition to carve her […]
Victorian Vignette
Victorian Slang & Other Flummadiddle
Whether it’s 1870 or 2024, the English language evolves. Words and phrases come into popular use and stay a while, living their lives in conversation on the streets, in houses and theaters, written in books and newspapers, shared on Instagram or TikTok. Others disappear along with their usefulness. Some expressions […]
Victorian Vignette
Victorians Adored Ice Cream!
Victorians adored ice cream. At the beginning of the 1800s, ice cream was an elite and expensive dish, in flavors like Parmigiano and asparagus. I have tasted homemade ice cream in such flavors as asparagus, spinach, and orange blossom, and I can tell you with 21st-century experience that these flavors […]
The Islander
Steve Gatier
Steve Gatier wears many hats: husband, father, proprietor, barista, and retainer of information. As the owner of Magic Brain Café in the Carpenters Square Mall for well over a decade, you’ll often find him hustling behind the coffee bar, a benevolent overlord to his crew of busy baristas. He chats […]
Artisans Corner
Peter Henderer
Adages may be trite, but they exist for a reason. Peter Henderer is a living, breathing example of this one: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Here’s a guy who makes a living creating mostly nautical/fish-related artwork from…recycled wood. Or, as he puts it, “Yes, I am still dumpster […]
Sound Waves
Max Crowley
Like the ocean, Cape May holds much more substance below the surface. The deeper you dive, the more there is to discover in this town’s pool of creatives. You’ll also find that they are all interconnected one way or another. While some were born and bred here, others chose to […]
Antiquing Around Town
Art Nouveau: Like a Breath of Spring
Art Nouveau draws inspiration from the natural world with its organic, graceful style. It speaks of birth and renewal as sure as the first signs of spring. It was a compelling, energetic style in the art world from the 1890s to 1914 and the start of World War I. And […]
Victorian Vignette
The evolution of the bathroom during Victorian times
American Victorian bathroom facilities were modernizing as the 19th century turned into the first decades of the 20th, and they also reflected a clear divide in comfort and convenience between the rich and the less well off. Most Americans of the 19th century did not have a dedicated bathroom and […]
Artisans Corner
Kathy Mahon: Hook and Needle Knits
At this time of year, at least here in the coastal mid-Atlantic region, the weather vacillates from not quite dead-of-winter to damp-but-not-quite-warm. The quickest way to warm up—and to look stylish doing it—is to toss on a scarf or shawl. Just ask Kathy Mahon, proprietor and head crocheter of Hook […]
The Islander
Carol Sabo
In a political landscape where convictions vary drastically and the mere mention of an elected official’s name can spark discord, residents of West Cape May speak of their mayor, Carol Sabo, with fondness and respect. Her years of education and work in the fields of sociology and advocacy have made […]