Terri Priest, associate professor emerita of studio art, passed away on Sept. 13 after an illness. She was 86.
Priest joined Holy Cross in 1978 after receiving a master of fine arts degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She was a gifted artist and teacher, serving as a mentor to many students in her 14 years at the College. In 1993 she retired from the College in order to devote more time to her own painting and to managing and directing the Fletcher/Priest Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in Worcester.
Priest’s work has been exhibited in a number of museums and galleries including the Worcester Art Museum, the DeCordova Museum and the galleries at Clark University, UMass Amherst, Worcester State University, Fitchburg State University and Holy Cross.
Several of her paintings are in the permanent collection of the Cantor Art Gallery and her piece, "Paths to Divine Light Through Vermeer's Lens" was commissioned by the College for Smith Hall shortly after its opening.
Her work was supported by a number of grants from Holy Cross, the Greater Worcester Community Foundation and the Frances Kinnicutt Foundation. She was an active supporter of the Worcester Art Museum, Abby's House and the Nativity School of Worcester.
A complete obituary will appear in the winter issue of Holy Cross Magazine. If you have a special memory or story about Priest, you are welcome to share it by leaving a comment below or emailing hcmag@holycross.edu. Your remembrance may appear in a future issue of the magazine.
Related Information
- Worcester Magazine, Sept. 18: “In memory of Terri Priest”
- Telegram & Gazette, Sept. 24: "Terri Priest recalled for talent, generosity"
- Holy Cross Magazine, Fall 1999: “Keeping up with Terri Priest”
