Agnes Carter’s “Step into the Bay” invites onlookers into a delightful, exploration of the Chesapeake Bay’s marine life. With a playful art style, these boots are a vibrant canvas featuring crabs, oysters, seahorses, jellyfish, and fish. Each creature is rendered with simplicity and charm, capturing the whimsical and enchanting side of the bay’s ecosystem. This artwork not only showcases the diverse species that inhabit these waters but also encourages viewers of all ages to appreciate the natural beauty through a youthful lens.

About Watermen’s Way

Watermen’s Way is a public art project honoring the Watermen and Waterwomen of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Sponsored by Virginia’s River Realm in conjunction with Lancaster by the Bay Chamber of Commerce, this project benefits the Virginia Watermen’s Association, Steamboat Era Museum, and the RAL Art Center.

These oversized, fiberglass boots are iconic items for the men and women who make their living on the water. Used by the seafood industry across the world, here in the Chesapeake Bay, they have nicknames like “Guinea Slippers,” “Tangier Tennis Shoes,” “Red Balls,” or “Bubba Boots.” Each sculpture is personalized by a local artist, drawing from themes that reflect the lives of the people who work the water, harvesting crabs, oysters, and fish from the Bay, rivers, and creeks.