The Artist Exchange program of the Fredericksburg-Este Association has marked its sixth successful exchange.

Another successful artist exchange took place in April 2026, when Sue Henderson and Ray Dempsey, who’ve performed together for over a decade, wowed our Este friends with a performance of The Great American Songbook, which highlights jazz, Broadway and movie standards from the first half of the 20^th Century. Joined by Este pianist Claudia Minieri in a duet, and made possible by Este “grand poobah” of the sister city organizations Walter Pieressa, the April 21^st concert delighted our friends, who rose to offer a standing ovation.

In addition, Sue joined with three visual artists to display photography and paintings in a week-long exhibit titled Fusione d’Arte: Paint meets Pics. Linda Winter, a British ex-pat living near Este; Massimo Trevisian, a painter who also served on City Council; and Franco Rubini, photographer who visited Fredericksburg in April 2023 as artist exchange honoree, all joined their talents for the show.

 Este Photo show visitors

Sue also mounted a week-long show exhibiting the photos she took in Este in spring 2025, when she and husband Rick visited Este during a private stay. “A Place Called Este” focused on the town and its people, and visitors delighted in searching for people they knew in the 40+ photos on display.

A part of our ongoing relationship with our Este friends, this extended stay offered many opportunities for developing friendships among the Este members, as well as sharing with our artists the visual and musical tastes of America. Such cultural insights help fulfill our mission to “foster cultural understanding, friendship, and collaboration,” and to celebrate “shared history and traditions,” as well as to build “lasting relationships that enrich the lives of residents in both cities.”

At the opening of Sue’s one-person exhibit, former artists in the exchange came to celebrate the ongoing exchange. Alfredo dal Santo, the ceramicist who participated in the first exchange with Neal Reed; Nadir Frizzarin, the painter who came to Fredericksburg in October of 2018; Franco Rubini, the photographer who came to Fredericksburg in April 2023; and of course, Sue. Nota bene: Cathy Herndon was the honoree in April of 2022, visiting Este and exhibiting there, as well as completing a mural for Peace near an Este school.

The smiles and reminiscences of these participants spoke volumes about the value of the exchange, the impact on their artistic lives, and the lasting ties that the program has created over the years. The artists are chosen not only for excellence in their medium, but also for the civic and cultural contributions each has made to their communities.

The next exchange will host an Este artist in Fredericksburg, scheduled for 2027, when we will once more, in turn, meet and celebrate together this vibrant and successful program.