SALISBURY, Md. — This month, residents and visitors to Salisbury may begin noticing small blue markers with QR codes appearing in public spaces around the city. Each marker is part of Our Shore, Our Stories (https://www.downtownsby.com/osos), a new public audio storytelling project that invites people to hear short, personal stories rooted in Salisbury and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The project developed by the Arts, Business, and Culture Department of the City of Salisbury describes it as an oral history initiative built around community perspectives, family histories, and personal journeys.
Launching with an initial collection of six stories, Our Shore, Our Stories is designed to grow over time. New stories will be swapped in every few months, while previous recordings will be archived on the project website so they can continue to be enjoyed by residents, visitors, and future generations.
The idea for the project grew out of conversations during Salisbury’s 2022 Public Art Master Plan forums, when community members returned again and again to the idea that art helps tell the story of a place. Our Shore, Our Stories brings that concept to life by creating a living archive of local voices — one that people can encounter while walking downtown, spending time in local parks, or exploring Salisbury’s public spaces.
“Our Shore, Our Stories is about preserving the voices, memories, and everyday moments that make this place home,” said Caroline O’Hare, Events and Culture Manager for the City of Salisbury. “Not every story has to be dramatic to matter. Sometimes the smallest memories — a person, a place, a moment you never forgot — are the ones that tell us the most about who we are. I hope this project helps people feel more connected to Salisbury, to the Eastern Shore, and to one another.”
Community members are invited to take part by sharing their own stories. Submissions do not need to be polished or formal — they can simply be a meaningful memory, a reflection on life here, or something the storyteller wants future generations to remember. Stories should begin with, “My name is ____, I live in ____, and this is my story,” and can be submitted either by calling 410-575-3137 to record by phone or by uploading an audio file online. The recordings should be under three minutes long.
Participant guidelines for the project encourage honesty, kindness, consent, and respect for privacy, while prohibiting discriminatory, harassing, or graphic content. The project is intended to build connection and celebrate the many voices that make up life on the Eastern Shore.
This project has been financed in part with State funds from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, but does not necessarily reflect its views or policies. The Maryland Heritage Areas Program is governed by MHAA and administered through the Maryland Historical Trust. Additional support comes from the Beach to Bay Heritage Area and PAC14. These organizations support heritage tourism, cultural storytelling, and public access media across the Lower Eastern Shore and Salisbury region.
To listen to current stories, submit a recording, or learn more about participating, visit downtownsby.com/osos.
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About ABCD The Arts, Business, and Culture Department is responsible for fostering Salisbury’s thriving economic climate by supporting businesses, expanding economic opportunity, promoting artistic expression, hosting unique experiences, and maintaining regional attractions such as Poplar Hill Mansion. By producing signature events, facilitating business incentives, and collaborating with stakeholders, the department strives to make Salisbury a place where arts, business, and culture intersect and flourish.
About the City of Salisbury, Maryland Founded in 1732, Salisbury is the county seat of Wicomico County, a place where John Smith touched land in 1608 during his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay, bringing him in contact with the Wighcocomoco or Wicomico, the Nause, the Kusk’arawack, and the Nantaquack or Nanticoke tribes who had lived in the region for several millennia. Situated on Maryland’s historic Eastern Shore at the crossroads of the Delmarva Peninsula, Salisbury is now one of the region’s largest cities, and serves as the capital of the Eastern Shore, a rural area defined by its agricultural and maritime traditions, landscapes, and industries.
The Chesapeake Bay is central to this distinctive identity. Though a relatively small city, Salisbury is the geographic and economic hub of one of the nation’s fastest-growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The City of Salisbury is working to build its reputation as an arts and culture destination and is aligning its downtown development and revitalization efforts with the arts. Salisbury believes hosting the Maryland Folk Festival is the perfect catalyst to further a cultural renaissance and urban renewal. https://salisbury.md/