Within A Mile: Contemporary Art in Historic South Worcester
While the history of South Worcester is typical in many ways, the amount of creativity this small hamlet has nurtured is unique. Among the two dozen houses comprising the hamlet, more than half of the residents are artists: painters, printmakers, sculptors, photographers, woodworkers, musicians, actors, writers, weaver, and/or performance artists. Thirteen artists are participating in this exhibition. Each one has a deep connection to South Worcester.
Some of us were born in South Worcester. Some moved back after years elsewhere. Some settled in the special hamlet of South Worcester in mid-career or even later. Some of us live elsewhere, returning intermittently. Many of us forged our creative careers in other parts of the country without abandoning our roots in South Worcester. The artists in this exhibition share a committed engagement with the creative arts and an active connection to South Worcester.
When the railroad bypassed South Worcester commercial development shifted to the next valley north, ensuring that the Charlotte Valley would remain beautiful in its rural simplicity. In the 1930s Sherwood Becker purchased and preserved much of the farmland, as well as residential and commercial buildings.
Many of these buildings have been restored or renovated with additions and interiors adapted for uses other than the original ones. In every case, the renovations have shown sensitivity to the original architecture and the integrity of South Worcester as an enclave of historic buildings. South Worcester is now on the National Register of National Landscape Districts, noted for the relationship between the settlement patterns and the agricultural configurations of the valley.
Participating Artists:
Karen Butler, actress, writer, and director. Wenda Habenicht, sculptor and photographer. Neil Hartley, actor and director
Scott Hartley, watercolor painter
Edna Itturalde-Kernan, writer of childrens’ books. Tianna Kennedy, performance and visual artist. Catherine Kernan, painter and printmaker.
Christopher Kernan, artisan with wood.
Devereux Kernan, artisan with multiple materials.
Patricia Kernan, painter, quilter, scientific illustrator, and musician.
Barbara Lyons Pickel, fabric artist.
Victoria Hartley Rikard, oboist.
Adam Williams, photographer
