In a quiet gallery where the echoes of industrial machinery usually dominate the narrative, a new generation of historians is shifting the spotlight toward the people behind the gears. Worcester State students from Professor Erika Briesacher’s Material Culture class recently stood before museum staff to pitch a bold, human-centric exhibit titled “Walking through Worcester: 250 Years of Growing Industry, Community, and Society.”
This exhibition is the centerpiece of a formal partnership established last year between Worcester State University and the Museum of Worcester. As a key component of the university’s Public History minor, the Material Culture course serves as a laboratory for professional museum work. Briesacher envisions this project as an evolving model, with future courses – such as Professor Joshua Koenig’s Museums and Society class next fall – building upon the foundations laid by these students to provide ongoing, hands-on curation experience. “future courses–such as Dr. Joshua Koenig’s Museums and Society class in Fall 2026–building upon .
Scheduled to open at the Museum of Worcester on May 13, the exhibit marks a significant departure from traditional industrial histories, moving away from a focus on wealthy factory owners to highlight the physical objects of everyday life that reflect the city’s true values.
The students formed three teams to present various aspects of the exhibition. The first team, focused on the timeline and industry overview, will use maps and documents to show the physical and societal expansion of Worcester. Because the protective glass cases would cramp the limited gallery space, the exhibition cannot display fragile historic clothing, so students on the second team pivoted to a more rugged storyteller: the shoe.
“We can show shoes,” student Ami Lamontagne ’26 said. “And the more we started thinking about it, the more we got into what that really means – how we went from not showing our ankles to showing them, and the status shoes bring.”
The “Shoe Team” plans to display everything from handmade Haywood Company work boots – iron-clad and heavy – to delicate ballet slippers and high-fashion footwear with intricate lace hooks. By examining these objects, the students aim to show how a simple boot reflects economic shifts from a farming town to a post-industrial hub.
The presentation laid out a conceptual walk through time where industrialization serves as the foundation for human stories rather than the final word. Zachary Rich ’26, a lead speaker for the industry-focused group, emphasized that the team intentionally shifted the subject from machines to inhabitants.
“The growth of Worcester’s communities reflects its industrial and cultural expansion over 250 years,” Rich said. “We phrased it very specifically where the subject is actually the communities rather than the industrialization. It was people moving in, bringing their cultures, bringing their food, their clothing, their music, their everything. That’s what makes Worcester.” Rich noted that the exhibit aims to strip away “historiographical whitewashing” by focusing on the “common people’s hands” that built the city.
Following the footsteps of the workers comes the rhythm of their celebrations. Student Bradley Wightman ’26 explained how the music group plans to use Mechanics Hall as a cornerstone for their research.
“Mechanics Hall started as a mechanical expo, a mechanical fair tying into the industry of Worcester,” Wightman said. “By highlighting that, we can absolutely get a good foothold and understand where it all started for Worcester to become this big hub for the entertainment industry and just overall a huge city.” Wightman’s team plans to connect these local beginnings to global stars and modern venues like the DCU Center and the Palladium as well as smaller venues.
This fresh perspective is exactly what museum leadership hoped for. Eric Butler, Executive Director of the Museum of Worcester, sees the project as a blueprint for the institution’s evolution. “I’m so focused on making sure that we’re re-envisioning museums for younger audiences for the 21st century,” Butler said. “We’re kind of talking long term about trying to turn the Museum of Worcester into a laboratory for college students. So, thank you for hopefully being part of a success model for us.”
Vanessa Bumpus, the museum’s Exhibits Coordinator, agreed, stating, “The students over delivered. I was really impressed with what they did today. We’re excited to see the final product.” Briesacher praised the students’ progress, observing how they moved from brainstorming to a professional, object-focused proposal. As the May 13 opening approaches, the students are preparing to show that while the mills provided the structure, it was the diverse communities that wove the true fabric of Worcester.
