Meet Our Supporters: Dolly Vazquez

by Anya Kohan

ArtsWorcester holds a special place in Dolly Vazquez’s heart, partly because she met her own sweetheart here at a gallery opening nineteen years ago. Let’s start from the beginning, though, shall we?

Back in 1993, Vazquez began working in Worcester at CENTRO Las Americas, where she collaborated with ArtsWorcester on a biannual exhibit for Latinx artists, and remarked how inclusive the organization was even then. While the gallery is important to both her and her partner, neither of the two are artists. The magic of ArtsWorcester, for them, comes with the interpersonal connections that are formed in the space at opening receptions and during gallery hours. Connections formed through the shared experience of art, in Vazquez’s opinion, are paramount.

When asked what she hopes for when giving to ArtsWorcester, Vazquez had a simple answer: “I hope that they have enough funding to keep running for many, many years and that they keep doing what they’re doing for local artists.” The experience of seeing contemporary art made by local artists in one place is not lost on Vazquez, and the reason why she remains passionate about the organization.

Dolly sees the tremendous value of focusing on local artists: “ArtsWorcester caters to local artists looking for a professional place to exhibit their work." While virtual receptions have kept the ArtsWorcester community connected through screens and chats, Vazquez is excited to see familiar, smiling faces of artists and friends once in-person receptions can resume.