Photo by Heather Ainsworth.

Charlotte Herrera
Webster, New York

“I have been intrigued by the handmade for as long as I can remember,” says Charlotte Herrera, a craft enthusiast and collector, and co-founder, organizer, and volunteer at the Fine Craft Show at Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York, for 22 years. Her love of craft began when, as a child, she made clothes that received awards of excellence. As an adult, she volunteered at a fundraiser that included the sale of exquisite handmade glass objects and sculpture, and she set out on the collecting path.

Her long dedication to and passion for the Fine Craft Show has been driven by her desire to support craftspeople by providing them with a venue for exhibiting and selling their work. In the true craft tradition, Herrera and her team also host artists in their homes, provide dinner and conversation, and willingly offer any additional support an artist might need to achieve success. “I’m proud of this accomplishment,” she says.

“Not something mass produced, but one beautiful piece someone made.”
—Charlotte Herrera

Herrera, who is 76, also served a nine-year term as a trustee of the ACC board and four years as board show chair. She’s on the Memorial Art Gallery’s board of managers and the advisory board of the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred, New York. About her love of craft, Herrera says, “I’m a very visual person, so I appreciate looking at things that are different, and being able to ask questions and learn about the process of craft.”

“My husband and I are collectors,” she continues, “but we’ve never collected because somebody said a piece was important or significant. We collect what we’re visually attracted to, what creates a special feeling. Not something mass produced, but one beautiful piece someone made. In doing so, we’ve been able to meet artists, discuss materials and techniques, and support craft makers’ livelihoods.”

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