We are excited to announce that WorcesterScene.com will introduce our readers to the many fine craft artists participating in The Worcester Center for Crafts (WCC) Resident Artist Program. Periodically, throughout the fall and winter, we will feature Artist-In-Residence (A-I-R) Profiles presenting the innovative, beautiful, and unusual fine craft created by regional and national artists working and teaching at WCC and contributing to the vitality of Worcester’s arts community.
Established in 1856, The WCC continues to provide innovated exhibitions, arts education, support and advocacy to community artists working in fine contemporary crafts. In 2009 the organization became a partner with Worcester State University and the two organizations share studio space and resources. The WCC is home to one of the most beautiful exhibition spaces and finest art sales shops in Worcester—The Krikorian Gallery and The Gallery Store.
The WCC Resident Artist Program begins in September and artists stay until June with the option to apply for a second year. The program encourages artists from across the country and internationally and the application process is competitive. While at WCC, A-I-R artists are inspired by the new environment and the fresh community of artists embarking upon new artistic paths challenging themselves and expanding their techniques and concepts. “Most, if not all the artists, generally abandon their themes for new ones or explore different facets of their themes during their residency,” explained Chad Sirois, WCC Assistant.
Our first profile introduces Peter Barbor who creates expressive large-scale figurative sculptures. His unusual and provocative works offer an alternative interpretation of the “craft” ideal. His themes stem from the “sticky summers” of his boyhood and “extends to the anxieties of what it means to be a man,” sharing personal narratives about his life. Originally from Dallas, TX, Barbor received his BFA from The Rhode Island School of Design is now living and working in Worcester.
Glass by Eric Cruze at WCC
Bringing a traditional approach is Eric Cruze who creates elegant fine art glass pieces that are functional and decorative. Working recently in kiln-formed murrini and filigrana objects, Cruze is inspired by the “rich cultural history” of glass and appreciates time-honored techniques and glass as a vital functional craft. He is impassioned by the understanding that “materiality of an object” evokes the “spirit of its making,” resonating history. He explained “over time, as an object changes its function or context, one of the characteristic that remains is its material presence.” Cruze maintains his Worcester studio at the New Street Glass Studio.
Your Source for Where It's Happening!™
