Several Washington College Centers of Excellence and departments have embarked on a semester-long collaboration with John Jarboe, a performance and visual artist based in Philadelphia.

As part of a course, students will reinterpret and recreate one of Jarboe’s exhibitions, a deeply personal and interactive experience called The Rose Garden Green Room. The exhibition will run from October 23 to December 4, 2025 in the College’s Kohl Gallery.

The Green Room was one part of an exhibit created by Jarboe called The Rose Garden, which illuminated Jarboe’s gender journey—the artist identifies as genderqueer, uses she/her pronouns, and alternates referring to herself as John or Rose. The names were picked by her mother for twins, but one embryo was reabsorbed during early stages of the pregnancy, a not uncommon occurrence that nonetheless captured Jarboe’s imagination.

The exhibit was originally conceived and created by Jarboe in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, and then exhibited in D.C. by Cultural D.C. Both an art piece and a gathering space for all, the exhibit includes sculpture and audiovisual elements familiar in art galleries while also maintaining an aura of familiarity, evoking hints of nostalgia and warmth, nourishing those in it and challenging them to deepen their understanding of gender. Participants can explore queer identity in a library nook, stop by the letter writing station to pen a note to their gender, explore Jarboe’s videos throughout, have a snack, and even play dress up in the closet.

The collaboration with Jarboe grew out of a conversation initiated by Kohl Gallery Director Rob Blackson shortly after his arrival to Washington in 2024. He learned of Jarboe’s prior work with the College—including the 2013 performance “A Civil War Cabaret” commissioned by Washington College’s Starr Center for the American Experience—and how several departments were eager to work with the artist again.

“Connecting Washington students to the professional artist John Jarboe has proven to be an exemplary model of experiential learning,” noted Blackson. “The class I have co-taught with Jarboe directly in Kohl Gallery has creatively and academically inspired the students to reach beyond the gallery and connect their interests to communities both in and outside the College.”

The exhibition will be complemented by a series of free public programs, including a performance by Jarboe’s cabaret group, The Bearded Ladies, a generative letter writing workshop, and a hands-on quilting workshop that explores personal expression.

“Our students thrive on collaboration between academic disciplines and Jarboe’s work at the College this fall connecting our students to the theater, psychology, and art and art history departments, as well as The Rose O’Neill Literary House and the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, is testament to the range of unique ways our academic environment encourages self-discovery and interdisciplinarity,” Provost Kiho Kim said.

In addition to the many collaborators throughout the College, the exhibition and programs have also garnered external support from The Hedgelawn Foundation and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

Students in the class taught by Jarboe and Blackson hope those who come to view the exhibit will feel the show’s welcoming nature.

“The Rose Garden Green Room isn’t just an interactive art exhibit; it is a raw, honest, and beautiful story of self-expression and discovery,” said student Avah Christianson. “The message John’s exhibit has been designed to radiate is ‘all are welcome.’ This space is welcoming and comforting to all even those who don’t quite understand gender queerness or have never thought about it. It’s a safe place in this world for a nice breath of fresh air.”

Events and exhibits centered around Jarboe’s work that are open to the public this semester include:

The Rose Garden Green Room Exhibition 

October 23 to December 4, 2025 | Kohl Gallery

An Exhibition Opening will take place on Thursday, October 23 from 5 – 6:30 p.m. in Washington College’s Kohl Gallery, located in the Gibson Center for the Arts. Jarboe will be in attendance. The exhibition will run from October 23 – December 4, 2025. The gallery is fully accessible and open to the public Tuesday – Saturday from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesdays from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, visit https://www.washcoll.edu/arts/kohl-gallery/index.php

That’s Sew You!

October 30, 4 p.m. | Larrabee Arts Center

This hands-on workshop will be led by Emerald Andrews, an avid quilter and assistant professor of math at Washington College. Andrews will guide participants to understand how gender identity relates to personal expression while learning basic methods of transforming clothing using bleach, fabric paint, and patches. Crafting supplies will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring clothing from their wardrobe to transform. There will also be an opportunity to contribute photographs of their creations to a shared photo album in the exhibition. Space is limited, so sign-ups are required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thats-sew-you-workshop-tickets-1820294242079. The workshop will take place in the Larrabee Arts Center located at 100 Gibson Ave on Washington College’s campus on Thursday, October 30, from 4 to 6 p.m.

“Dear Gender” Generative Letter Writing Workshop

November 6, 4 p.m. | Rose O’Neill Literary House

Performance and visual artist John Jarboe will offer an interactive workshop on engaging creatively with your gender. The event takes place at the Rose O’Neill Literary House on Washington College’s campus on Thursday, November 6 from 4 to 5 p.m and is open to the public. Jarboe will share exercises used to create her exhibition The Rose Garden and performance Rose: You Are Who You Eat. Participants will explore how to use performance, fantasy, and creative practice to see themselves and others more clearly, and how to embrace the complexity of their “genderful” existence. More information on the event is available on Washington College’s event calendar.

Rose: You Are Who You Eat

Created by The Bearded Ladies Cabaret

November 7–8, 7:30 p.m.  | Tawes Theatre

In a special guest performance, Philadelphia’s acclaimed Bearded Ladies Cabaret brings Rose: You Are Who You Eat to Washington College. A genre-defying cabaret blending drag, live music, storytelling, and political satire, Rose follows the journey of a trans woman navigating identity, visibility, and resilience. Both hilarious and heartfelt, this performance confronts gender norms while celebrating radical joy. Tickets and info available on the Tawes Theatre ticketing site.

Baking The Poison Cookie

December 4, 11:30 a.m. | Kohl Gallery

Serving in her role as Artistic Director of The Bearded Ladies, Jarboe will lead a workshop exploring queer performance from the rich history of the cabaret, exploring the birth of the form in 1880s Paris, through Dada, Weimar Germany, the clubs of Harlem, and more. Jarboe will lead students and the public through various ways in which the form of cabaret has transformed as it negotiates moments of socio-political crisis. Be prepared for singing, group listening, and dreaming forward creative tactics for the future. This event will take place in the Kohl Gallery on Washington College’s campus on Thursday, December 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.washcoll.edu/about/campus/kohl-gallery/index.php.  

The Town of Chestertown and Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society (CES) are inviting residents and visitors to gather for Birds & Brunch, a free community event celebrating World Migratory Bird Day, on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at CES’ Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall located at 485 S. Cross Street, Chestertown, MD.

The morning will feature activities designed to connect people of all ages with nature while learning how to make communities safer for birds. Guests can:

• Enjoy coffee and a light breakfast

• Take part in guided bird walks and an artist talk

• Create bird-inspired crafts and hands-on activities

• Learn expert tips for building bird-friendly homes and neighborhoods

“World Migratory Bird Day is a wonderful reminder of how deeply connected our town is to the natural world,” said Laura Chamberlin, associate director of civic engagement at CES. “This event is about celebrating that connection together as a community, while discovering simple, but meaningful ways to help protect the birds that travel through our region.”

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/birds-brunch-tickets-1730624447309?aff=oddtdtcreator .

Event Details 

Birds & Brunch celebration for World Migratory Bird Day

Saturday, October 11, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

485 S. Cross St., Chestertown, MD 21620

Free and open to all

Wiley Cash

Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience is thrilled to announce the 2025-2026 Patrick Henry History Fellow, Wiley Cash, a best-selling author versed in southern history, mystery, and family drama.

Cash will be joining the Washington College community for the academic year and teaching an English class while also working on his sixth novel—in his words, “a retelling of the Lost Colony [of Roanoke Island, NC] that braids three storylines while interrogating the tendrils of white supremacy that sprouted from the American colonial experiment.”

The Patrick Henry History Fellowship supports outstanding writing on American history and culture by scholars and authors; it offers a $45,000 stipend for the academic year and an opportunity to work with and teach Washington College students and faculty, as well as a book allowance and a nine-month residency in a historic 18th century house in Chestertown, MD. Past fellowship topics have ranged as broadly as the early history of the slave trade, American religious minorities, and the LGBTQ rights movement. Past Patrick Henry fellows have included National Book Prize winner Edward Ball and Scribe Book Award recipient Wil Haygood.

Cash is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of four novels, including A Land More Kind Than Home, This Dark Road to Mercy, and The Last Ballad. His last novel, published in 2021, When Ghosts Come Home, was a national bestseller and an Indie Next Pick.  His short stories and essays have appeared in the Oxford American, Garden & Gun, Our State Magazine, and other publications, and his fiction has been adapted for the stage and film. His writing has been praised for its Southern dialect, Southern Gothic qualities, and blending of family drama with suspense. He often uses a multi-character perspective in his works, deploying a range of character voices to tell a richer, more nuanced story.

His work has won numerous awards, including the Southern Book Prize three times, and the Crime Writers’ Association’s CWA New Blood Dagger and Gold Dagger.  He has published extensively on a range of issues, from the environment to music, and is the host of the Our State Book Club podcast and the founder of “This is Working,” an online creative community.

“Wiley’s work perfectly embodies the Starr Center’s approach to history,” said Starr Center Director Adam Goodheart. “He’s an elegant writer and accomplished storyteller who reaches broad audiences, while also engaging in complex ways with some of the problems and paradoxes at the root of American identity. We’re delighted to have him here with us and excited that our students will have the opportunity to learn from this nationally eminent fiction writer.”

In the spring, Cash will teach “Signifying on the South” for the College’s English department, exploring popular literary portrayals of the American South, from well-known classics like Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, to more recent works like Alice Randall’s The Wind Done Gone. Considering the ways contemporary works amend and extend older texts, students will explore how today’s Southern writers are creating new frameworks to perceive the American South not as a relic of a time, but as an organic and fluid landscape.

“I’m thrilled to serve as the 2025-2026 Patrick Henry Fellow,” said Cash. “My family and I spent a week in Chestertown this summer, and we can’t wait to return to such a historic, kind, welcoming community.”

Cash has been a fellow at Yaddo and the MacDowell artist retreats and teaches fiction writing and literature at the University of North Carolina, Asheville.  He holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from University of Louisiana at Lafayette, an M.A. in English from University of Noth Carolina at Greensboro, and a B.A. in Literature from UNC Asheville. He lives in North Carolina with his wife, photographer Mallory Cash, and their daughters.

On Tuesday, September 23 at 6 p.m. at the Rose O’Neill Literary House  at Washington College, Cash will read from his novel, The Last Ballad. The event is free and open to the public.

To receive event invitations, information and updates for these and all Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience events and programs, please subscribe to our newsletter.

The Washington College Communication and Media Studies Department is pleased to announce its annual film series, which this academic year will be exploring the theme of “Resistance.” This year’s curated selection of films explores how individuals and groups push back against oppressive forces, societal norms, and personal expectations. The series provides an opportunity to reflect on the nature of resistance in a variety of contexts, from civil rights to personal identity.

“This year’s Washington College Film Series will be exploring the theme of resistance. In these films, we’ll follow the stories of those who challenge oppressive forces, resist authority, and refuse to adhere to outside expectations,” said Meghan Grosse, assistant professor and chair of the department of communication and media studies. “At a time in which we see countless humanitarian crises and the violation of basic human rights—locally, nationally, and globally—these films give us an opportunity to reflect on the ways individuals and communities can reclaim their agency and fight back.”

Screenings will occur on the first Thursdays of each month at 7 p.m. in the Norman James Theater, located in Smith Hall on the Washington College campus (view campus map). All events are free and community members are encouraged to attend.

All films will begin at 7 p.m. This year’s lineup includes:

• Beans – September 4
• Sinners – October 2
• Cool Hand Luke – November 6
• Mustang – December 4
• She Said – February 5
• Sneakers – March 5
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always – April 2
• Get Out – April 30

To get regular updates about the series, including the addition of special events throughout the year, follow the Communication and Media Studies Department on Instagram, or visit the their page on the website.