2026 MD Traditions Artist in Residence: Eric Clark Jackson

Eric Clark Jackson will be the MD Traditions Artist-in-Residence for Spring 26. He will share his tradition and practice with UMBC undergraduate Linehan Artist Scholars (LAS) over six spring-semester sessions, and collaborate on a public workshop and showing for kids in our local community.

photo of the artist wearing a yellow fishing hat in front of water

Eric Clark Jackson is a teaching artist whose studio practice explores intersections of artistry, ecology, and handmade traditions within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. His work is meticulous and process-oriented, typically combining wildlife illustration with fiber arts in large scale explorations of iconography and place. Eric’s teaching involves a research-based pedagogy rooted in choice-based methodologies, encouraging his students to make meaning through self-directed decisions and media choices.

Eric partners regularly with conservation organizations across the region, from local initiatives with Riverkeepers and watershed groups through partnerships with national changemakers including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Alliance for the Chesapeake. He is the recipient of multiple state grants from the Maryland State Arts Council, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, local arts councils, and numerous conservation organizations. He regularly presents his work through many of the state-affiliated regional folklife and heritage centers in the region as well. Eric’s work is in the permanent collection of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, the Museum of Eastern Shore Culture, and Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center, as well as in the collections of multiple past corporate sponsors.

Eric is on the teaching faculty of St. Mary’s College of MD- the Nation’s Public Honor’s College (and his alma mater), and the College of Southern Maryland. He teaches coursework in 2-d media and material studies.

Medium: Wax Resist, Gutta Resist, Cotton Broadcloth, Acrylic MediumDimensions: 36" X 72" X 0" Accompanying Text: Caught at the lower mouth of the Potomac River, jigging in mid-winter in a school of fish at a depth of ~30 ft. A detailed illustration of a striped bass with a textured, speckled body in shades of green and blue, set against a cracked, white background. The drawing highlights fins, scales, and an open mouth, emphasizing anatomical features and artistic texture.
Striped Bass, Potomac River Buoy 3 Medium: Wax Resist, Gutta Resist, Cotton Broadcloth, Acrylic Medium Dimensions: 36″ X 72″ X 0″ Accompanying Text: Caught at the lower mouth of the Potomac River, jigging in mid-winter in a school of fish at a depth of ~30 ft. A detailed illustration of a striped bass with a textured, speckled body in shades of green and blue, set against a cracked, white background. The drawing highlights fins, scales, and an open mouth, emphasizing anatomical features and artistic texture.
Brown Trout, Gunpowder River, 2025Medium: Wax Resist, Gutta Resist, Cotton Broadcloth, Acrylic Medium Dimensions: 36" X 72" X 0" Accompanying Text: Caught in the Gunpowder River, a northern tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the brown trout is an iconic freshwater find, and an indicator species of clean and healthy waters. Alt Text: A detailed illustration of a brown trout with a speckled body and prominent fins, displayed against a white background with a web-like pattern overlay. The fish features a greenish head, orange-brown body with black spots, and a distinct hooked jaw, highlighting key anatomical characteristics.
Brown Trout, Gunpowder River, 2025
Medium: Wax Resist, Gutta Resist, Cotton Broadcloth, Acrylic Medium
Dimensions: 36″ X 72″ X 0″
Accompanying Text:
Caught in the Gunpowder River, a northern tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the brown trout is an iconic freshwater find, and an indicator species of clean and healthy waters.
Alt Text:
A detailed illustration of a brown trout with a speckled body and prominent fins, displayed against a white background with a web-like pattern overlay. The fish features a greenish head, orange-brown body with black spots, and a distinct hooked jaw, highlighting key anatomical characteristics.