ArtWorks@7th in North Beach will open a new September exhibition featuring scratchboard art and works in several other media by Southern Maryland artists Lonnie Harkins, Mary Gault and Donna Tizol.
“An Itch to Scratch…and More” will run from Sept. 3 through Sept. 27 at the cooperative gallery, 8905 Chesapeake Ave. in North Beach. An opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5, from 1 to 4 p.m. The exhibition dates are also listed on the gallery’s official 2026 schedule.
The exhibition is built around scratchboard, a medium in which artists create images by scratching through a dark surface to reveal a lighter layer beneath. The show will also include works in other media used by the featured artists, giving visitors a broader look at their individual styles and techniques.
Harkins is a self-taught artist whose work spans photography, pottery, glass, scratchboard and silversmithing. ArtWorks@7th says he began drawing as a child before expanding into numerous artistic media. His gallery profile identifies him as a scratchboard artist, photographer and potter.
Gault, a longtime Calvert County resident, has worked in oil and acrylic painting, stained glass, wood carving, photography and other forms. Her ArtWorks@7th profile describes a body of work that includes shore birds, fish, maritime-themed painted boxes and fine art prints. She has lived in Drum Point since 1998.
Tizol is a Southern Maryland artist and retired Calvert County Public Schools employee who works in watercolor, acrylic and mixed-media collage and has more recently added scratchboard to her practice. Her work often draws from landscapes, wildlife, seascapes and Chesapeake Bay subjects.
The September show also features guest artist Deborah Harkins, whose work includes jewelry, fused and stained glass, beadwork and photography.
Harkins said much of her artistic influence came from her mother and her sister, Sandra.
“A lot of my influence was from my Mother, now in heaven, and my sister, Sandra. She and I compared ideas for different styles and colors schemes. I run ideas through her that I like. I make Jewelry, do fused and stained glass, and love taking pictures of animals and plants.”
Deborah Harkins is a member of the Calvert Artists’ Guild and has participated in local art activities for years. Guild records show that she and Lonnie Harkins were involved with the organization’s newsletter during multiple years, while Lonnie also served as a past president of the Guild.
Her jewelry work focuses largely on bracelets in a variety of styles and colors, while her fused-glass pieces include functional art such as dishes and platters. She has also returned to photography, an earlier interest, and has received first-place recognition in Calvert Artists’ Guild shows, according to information provided for the exhibition.
The exhibition continues ArtWorks@7th’s long-running role as an artist cooperative in North Beach.
The gallery traces its beginnings to 2004, when a small group of local artists established a cooperative in the bayside town. The organization initially operated above an antiques store at Seventh Street and Bay Avenue before moving several times as it grew. ArtWorks@7th says the cooperative now includes roughly 20 to 30 artists.
That cooperative structure remains central to the gallery. ArtWorks@7th accepts work in a broad range of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, fused glass, woodworking, textiles and other forms, and members are expected to take an active role in gallery operations.
The September exhibition reflects that variety. Rather than presenting scratchboard as a single-medium show, “An Itch to Scratch…and More” pairs scratchboard pieces with other work by the participating artists, allowing visitors to see how their subjects and styles translate across different materials.
ArtWorks@7th is located at 8905 Chesapeake Ave., near Second Street, in North Beach. The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The opening reception for “An Itch to Scratch…and More” will be held Saturday, Sept. 5, from 1 to 4 p.m. The exhibition remains on view through Sept. 27.
