The Fredericksburg Este Association nurtures friendship and cultural understanding between Fredericksburg and its sister city, Este, Italy, through exchanges,
programs and events.

Sue Henderson and Ray Dempsey are Este’s third honorees for the Este Artist Exchange. Sue is well known in the region for her leadership in cultural, artistic and historical activities, including Via Colori, Whittingham’s Christmas windows, the Langley Glider project at Stafford Airport, and the Black History marker program in Stafford County.

Sue’s photography will be featured in an exhibit in Este, titled “A Place Called Este.” The images were captured during a three-month private stay in Este in 2025. In addition, Sue and Ray, her long-time keyboard accompanist, will perform music from The Great American Songbook, a collection of iconic compositions from the golden age of Broadway and American jazz.

The two will also give a free performance in October 2026, at the conclusion of the Sister Cities lecture series, a year-long program of talks about the contributions to American culture by Fredericksburg’s sister city countries. More information about the series can be found HERE.

A fundraising effort to help defray expenses of the three-week stay will support the Fred-Este artist exchange program. Donors to the fundraiser will be eligible for a drawing of Sue’s photography at an event in fall 2026, where she and Ray will talk about their experiences and also display works from the Este exhibit.

The two previous Fredericksburg honorees are:  Neal Reed (2017), potter; and Cathy Herndon (2022), painter and muralist. The Este artists who visited Fredericksburg are Nadir Frizzarin (2018), painter and tattoo artist; and Franco Rubini (2023), international cultural photographer.