Today we’d like to introduce you to Honee Hess.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Honee. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
How many stories begin with “I’ve always been interested in…”? My story does: I’ve always been interested in art, literature and how we learn to express ourselves. So college led to majoring in studio art and English which led to an accidental job in an art museum, which led to getting a graduate degree so I could work in museum education; which led to a 30+ year career in museum education at a public museum, a university museum, and a private museum. After my 25 yearlong job was eliminated at a prominent New England Museum, I discovered that my skills could easily adapt to managing a small and interesting non-profit: the Worcester Center for Crafts where I am currently. The Craft Center is an active place where we strive to inspire and build a creative community.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think passion smooth all road. Has it all been smooth? No. Working in the non-profit arts world means that almost every day you need to prove your work’s worth to “the world.” Why is art important? What value does art education provide? How do you monetize your value? These questions are asked in subtle and not so subtle ways every day. The tool that pulls you through is your belief and passion about what you do–I know that Worcester is a better place because of the programs that I have worked to produce; I know that university students’ education was enriched by using the resources of their art museum to understand more about the world and themselves; I’m convinced that my work has made a difference and I meet people every week who let me know that this is true.
I once said that I was in a seed-sowing business, not a harvesting one and that is so true. We teach, we inspire but we don’t always see the harvest of that work. So you have to believe.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Worcester Center for Crafts’ mission is to “inspire and build a creative community through the promotion, appreciation and teaching of craft.” We’re proud that we are able to give our audiences–shoppers, makers, artists, visitors, and learners–a very personal experience that meets their varying needs. We teach craft classes in ceramics, glassblowing, glass fusing, flame working, jewelry-making, forging, digital photography, dark-room photography, enameling, and more in six-week sessions and shorter workshops. We also teach children and teens 6-17 in our Craft + Creativity program that is experiential, creative, and STEAM-based. We have a Gallery that hosts 8-10 exhibits a year; and a Gallery Store that represents the hand-crafted work of over 500 American artists.
What sets us apart is that we take the financial burden off of craft artists by taking on the responsibility of owning/maintaining/insuring safety of equipment that might be prohibitive for a single artist to own & insuring access thru rental, Artist in Residence program, Open Studio hours and classes. We specialize in providing quality instruction at all levels to inspire/educate/push the edges of glass, ceramics, metals and photography–supporting traditional skill acquisition, creative idea development, experimentation, & artistic sustainability.
We’re all about artists and making sure they are sustained so we create opportunities for artists to show and sell their work in a secure, well-lit, maintained facility (i.e. 300+ artists in Gallery Store, Festival of Crafts, Hot Night in the City, Pottery Invitational); and we provide space & a supportive community to 8-10 artists from around the country through our Artist-in-Residence program. We also host admission free gallery exhibits that inspire, connect, and encourage artistic inquiry through shows of contemporary regional artists and, on occasion, shows that include idea-oriented historical and cultural perspectives.
Because we are all about inspiring and building a creative community, we also have created a youth program, Youth Craft + Creativity, that starts young with introducing students and families to three-dimensional thinking of craft and the intersection of science, math, physics, and creativity in the craft process. It is really exciting!
And last but not least, we have forged a very special partnership with Worcester State University and host their visual arts classes in our studios infusing their learning with the opportunity to observe and experience a small arts organization up close and personal. In the last few years, we have also reached out to Worcester Polytechnic Institute and offer classes at WPI in ceramics and glass.
We have the nimbleness to see a need and respond to help create the quality of life that creativity can bring to a place.
1. Providing
2. Offering a youth program that connects different disciplines & skills to learning through craft;
3. Hosting admission-free gallery exhibits
4. Partnering with other institutions to be able to provide opportunities such as the upcoming Computational Craft Symposium with WPI.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Worcester is a great place for creative! It’s got a neighborhood vibe that is inspirational and people from all walks of life and from all over the world. We’ve got a solid philanthropic sector that really cares about Worcester and its people. Worcester has urban problems, but it also has creative people who want to solve those problems and to learn from them. It’s a great place to have the Worcester Center for Crafts–we’ve been here since 1856!
If I could add one thing to the city, it would be artist live/work space that is safe and affordable.
Contact Info:
- Address: Worcester Center for Crafts
25 Sagamore Road
Worcester, MA 01605
(Glass Studio, 35B New Street, Worcester, MA) - Website: worcestercraftcenter.org
- Phone: 508-753-8183, x 301
- Email: wccregistration@worcester.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worcestercraftcenter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worcestercraftcenter
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/worcestercraft
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/wccregistration/
Image Credit:
Worcester Center for Crafts
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
