Salisbury University Permanent Collection

In 1926 Steve and Lemuel Ward started a small decoy business out of their family barbershop in Crisfield, Maryland. As a way to earn some extra money, the brothers would carve ducks out of scraps of wood that the locals would use for hunting. No one could have guessed that these early pieces would be the foundation of the largest art collection of its kind. Along with the Ward birds, the SU permanent collection has been built over the last 50+ years to include world-class wildfowl carvings from over 100 artists hailing from all over the world. As you will learn when you visit the museum, the work of the Ward brothers evolved and created new standards in bird carving; taking a utilitarian object and expanding the craft through experimentation, natural skill, and curiosity. Countless artists have used this legacy as inspiration to create the body of work that the SU permanent collection represents and celebrates.