The 9th Building Bridges Annual Showcase
151 Presidents Drive
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
The 9th Building Bridges Annual Showcase
Inaugurated in 2017, Building Bridges is a campuswide public art and engagement initiative that uses creative expression and shared experience to bring people together across differences. The annual Showcase Event highlights the work and stories of worker artists at UMass.
Now in its ninth year, the Showcase Event has grown into a signature annual gathering where staff and their creative talents take center stage. The event features the work of more than 70 worker artists and includes an exhibition of worker art, projects created by immigrant workers, and oral history projects documenting the experiences of UMass frontline workers. Visitors can also enjoy food, art demonstrations, workshops, live music, poetry readings, and performances.
Participating Artists
Jacqueline Adams | Kate Fernandez | Sally Prasch |
Event Schedule
Workshops
Workshops & Activities
- Oyster Shell Decoupage with Jennifer Lind
- Kandinsky Inspired Art Meditation with Lisa Korpiewski
- Painting with Mara Martins
- Doodle Station with joohyeon han-johnson
Art Demonstrations
- 16th & 17th Century Costume Design with Axel Boy
- Miniatures with David Wilson
- Fly Tying with Matt Thornton
- Tape Loom Weaving with Sondra Slesinski
- Sublimation crafts with Kabita Wait
- Chainmail linking with Andrew Humpel
- Card making with Lillian Coleman
Performance & Poetry
- Acoustic Celtic Music with Christy Hayes, Julian Tyson, Adrian Meck, Cyd Reiman, Ron Meck, Gary Bernhard, Daniel Kunstler, Paula Moore, Cynthia Thomas, John Buonaccorsi
- Poetry by Christine Mirabal
- Poetry by Ernie Brooks
Musical Performances
- Rebecca Weiss
- Peter Beebe
- Anthony Nepal, Chris Ellis, Steve Ellis, Joshua Rathbun, Kate Fernandez, Mary Vanasse
The art installation and showcase—curated and installed by participants in the Showcasing Worker Artists class, a core Building Bridges offering through the Partnership for Worker Education—will be on view from 12-7pm, with an opening reception midday, and artist demonstrations and workshops, and performances scheduled throughout the afternoon.
Building Bridges is a collaboration between the Partnership for Worker Education, Civic Engagement and Service-Learning, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
2026 Random Acts of Kindness
Building Bridges: Virtual Artist Showcase 2025
A video of our 2019 showcase event
The Partnership for Worker Education, Office of Human Resources, is an innovative educational partnership between the UMass staff unions on campus and HR. This office provides education, training, and dynamic career ladder programming on campus and across the commonwealth. To learn more about our work and to sign up for classes, visit our website: https://www.umass.edu/worker-ed/
To learn more about and get involved in the Building Bridges Project, contact Nyari Changamire at [email protected]