Note: Arts & Culture are a broad topic, so I decided to narrow it down a bit and concentrate on one particular gallery that doesn’t have a Wiki page of its own. It is a place that is dear to me, as it is where I first began showing my own work.
ArtsWorcester, Worcester MA
History
ArtsWorcester is a small, nonprofit gallery space that is currently operating within Worcester’s downtown district. The gallery is now in its 39th year of exhibiting the work of artists within the city of Worcester and beyond Worcester County. The organization was originally referred to as the Cultural Assembly of Greater Worcester, but changed its name to the more simplified ‘ArtsWorcester’ in 1992. Their mission is to provide artists with a space to show their work, many often, for the first time, as well as further the careers of more established artists. When the organization was first formed, activities such as music performances and poetry readings were commonplace, but were phased out as the organization grew. The non-profit operates on a modest $200,000 per year budget and has seen steady and constant growth in recent years. ArtsWorcester is currently the only not-for-profit gallery operating within the city.
Location
For the last 14 years, Arts Worcester has called the Aurora Hotel home. The Aurora Hotel is a former luxury hotel that was built on Main Street Worcester in 1898. The hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2019, ArtsWorcester plans on moving its gallery into the equally famous Printers Building, located a few blocks away. This space will provide the organization the ability to create two, ADA compliant galleries, and will allow the organization to grow for years to come. The printers building is also home to Davis Publications, The Davis Gallery, WICN Radio, and Technocopia. In addition to their gallery at the Aurora, the currently program exhibitions at the Hadley Building (an apartment complex across the street), the Hanover for Performing Arts and partner with local businesses to provide their offices with a rotation of original artwork from local artists.
Programing
Their main source of programming comes from artist exhibitions in the form of solo, group, and member’s shows. In an average year, the gallery produces twenty distinct exhibitions across their three venues. This work comes from their 300+ artist members – some of which are just starting out, and many who are already very established.
In addition to the gallery exhibitions, the also offer a number of other community events such as Teen Nights, gallery tours, business workshops for artists, artist talks, and the annual College Show, which invites College students from around the city to exhibit their work in a profession setting; often for the first time.
Leadership
Juliet Fiebel is the current executive director of ArtsWorcester, joining them in 2011 after Janice Seymour resigned from the position. The organization is comprised one full-time position, a couple of part-time employees, an executive board of 18 volunteers, and a team of volunteers that tend to the gallery, help make the schedule, and tend to the budget. Under Fiebel’s leadership, the gallery membership has grown to over 300 members and art sales have increased every year.
Other Links
http://www.telegram.com/news/20180327/worcester-living-artsworcester-presents-after-fashion
https://worcestermag.com/2018/06/07/one-last-hurrah-for-artsworcester-one-exhibition/60172
http://www.telegram.com/news/20180328/worcester-living-artsworcester-biennial-win-gives-artist-james-dye-solo-exhibition-at-worcester-art-museum/1