Hester Coucke Exhibitions Endowment Fund, a Donor Advise Fund Supporting The Arts Center
Honor the legacy of retired Curator, Hester Coucke, and provide lasting support for public exhibition programs
On her first day of retirement, October 1, 2022, Hester Co-Hosted our Art for the Heart Gala Benefit for The Arts Center with Mike McInally.
Before she came on stage this message was shared with guests attending the event.
Hester started her tenure at The Arts Center as a Sunday volunteer. Over the next 31 years, she served as Youth Education Coordinator, Manager of the ArtShop, and then full-time Curator for Public Exhibitions—where she drew upon her knowledge of art history and her Master’s degree training from the Universiteit van Amsterdam.
As Curator, she managed countless art exhibitions, working with hundreds of local, regional, statewide, and nationally-known artists. She also relied on the expertise, perspective and sweat-equity of over 75 active community members of the volunteer Exhibition Committee, who helped curate and hang public exhibitions that connected art with science, technology, and current social issues, while continually refreshing community favorites like the annual Howland Community OPEN.
I’ve loved every minute of my time at The Arts Center and have seen our exhibitions become more popular and inclusive. Collaboration was a central theme and many different individual and groups worked with us on projects environmental, historical, and cultural, as well as those celebrating youth, other-abled, underrepresented, and traditional media creators. Every time I learned a lot together with our audience
Hester Coucke
The Arts Center Board of Directors and Endowment Fund Board’s honoredHester’s legacy by establishing the Hester Coucke Donor Advised Fund for Exhibitions. This fund will allow her successors to build on her efforts to connect with emerging artists, share new perspectives in innovative exhibitions, build new audiences, and promote equitable access to the visual arts. Each year, one art show will honor Hester Coucke’s legacy by name. Thanks to generous lead donors we exceeded an goal of $62,000 to establish the Hester Coucke Exhibitions Endowment Fund!
If you share would like to suppor exhibitions programming and give a gift in honor of Hester Coucke, consider donating to Hester Couke Exhibitions Fund: A Donor Advised Fund Supporting The Arts Center >
Back to more information about Legacy Funds of The Arts Center.