FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 05/06/2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Tom Matthews, MatthewsT@worcesterma.gov
WORCESTER, Mass. – Local artists Jesse Kenas Collins, Diana Khong and Angelique B. Webster have been selected for the second summer of creative summer residencies at The Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross as part of its Scholarship in Action program HC x WCC. HC x WCC represents a three-year partnership between the College, the Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) and the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division.
A carpenter and luthier, Jesse Kenas Collins plans to film “Brightwood Strings: A Documentation of Hand-built Instruments and Their Players” while at The Prior. This project will feature footage of live performances of five handmade instruments from Middle Eastern cultures played by contemporary professional artists from related diasporas living and working in MA. The film aims to serve Collins’ mission of helping families and communities preserve and access their musical heritage through instrument restoration in order to facilitate the ability of younger generations and professionals to carry on their traditions.
Playwright/director Diana Khong’s project, “Mary Magdalene, Daughter, Boatperson,” is a two-act experimental play following three Vietnamese siblings and their coping mechanisms after the death of their mother. Khong looks forward to developing the play–inspired by historical study and lived experience–with a local Worcester cast.
Angelique B. Webster’s documentary film project, “Forged in Fire: A Legacy in Enamel,” follows Black American Worcester artist Jen Davis Carey’s practice of the ancient medium of enamel art to explore family history and celebrate Black culture. Through a series of interviews, the film follows Carey as she prepares for her first solo exhibition, uncovering personal stories and ancestral legacies that inspire her work.
By cultivating long-term relationships in Worcester, Scholarship in Action faculty, student researchers, and community stakeholders design meaningful research projects that center principles of equity, antiracism, and shared knowledge production that engage wider audiences both locally and globally. This collaborative initiative reflects the significant role that the liberal arts and the humanities play in addressing complex challenges.
In addition to the development of new artistic work, this SIA-funded project aims to create new knowledge for the field about the campus-based arts residency model. As part of the program, participants will engage in conversations and self-reflection about their residency process and experience.
These residencies offer artists the space and resources to develop their work while providing chances to engage directly with students, faculty and other local resident artists. This inclusive approach not only supports the arts but cultivates a sense of belonging and inspiration across diverse groups. Inviting the community on campus can break down barriers between academic institutions and the communities they serve, creating a hub for cultural exchange and creative collaborations.
About The Prior Performing Arts Center
The Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross is an uncommon commons for transformative experiences with the arts. With dynamic programming and striking architectural design, The Prior supports arts-based collaboration across disciplines; offers technical capabilities to ignite the imaginations of students, faculty, community members, and visiting artists alike; and provides new avenues for leveraging the positive power of the arts for broad audiences and through civic and community partnerships.
About College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Mass., is among the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 3,200 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. Since its founding in 1843, Holy Cross has made a positive impact in society by graduating students who distinguish themselves as thoughtful leaders in business, professional and civic life.
