Kesse Humphreys, an art teacher at Solanco High School (SHS), has been creating things with metals for most of his life. Some may find this ironic given the fact that Kesse grew up in Gnome Countryside, where he was surrounded by nature and all things gnome. However, it was Kesse's dad, Richard Humphreys, who encouraged Kesse to pursue an internship with a local blacksmith, Joseph Daddiego. The internship lasted two years, and Kesse completed it as a student at SHS.

"That was just such a fantastic experience, and I think that was a huge influence of me in terms of sculpture and working that into jewelry," said Kesse. "I feel really lucky to have had that." Daddiego was a fifth-generation blacksmith from New York City. "This guy came out of a storybook like my dad," commented Kesse. "He was full of so many life lessons, and one that really stuck with me was, 'the only limit you have is the limit you put on yourself.'" According to Kesse, these words pushed him to do things that he otherwise wouldn't have done.

After graduating from SHS, Kesse went to a watchmaking school in Lititz. "My professors were really inspirational and pushed me to do some complicated stuff," he explained. After finishing school, Kesse found himself working for Rolex, but two years later, he realized he wanted to go to school to become a teacher. The Tyler School of Art and Architecture appealed to him because he could enroll in a metals program and earn a teaching certificate. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts, Kesse began teaching art at SHS, and he has been there for the past 6 years.

Kesse, again, decided to further his education, so he pursued his Master of Education degree at Millersville University. During a metals course he completed in the fall of 2021, Kesse created his work "Invasive Species," which was recently juried into the 43rd annual Contemporary Crafts exhibition at the Mesa Arts Center, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum in Mesa, Arizona. The exhibition highlights exceptional contemporary crafts from across the U.S. that represent innovation and quality in the traditional craft mediums of ceramics, metals, jewelry, wood, glass, papermaking, and book arts. Kesse is among 36 artists, representing 15 states, who are showcasing 45 artworks in this exhibition.

"Invasive Species" was inspired by mile-a-minute weed, which grows like a vine and steals light from the plants below it. Kesse thought about what it means to be invasive and what else besides a weed could be considered invasive. He decided to represent these plants using silver so that the plants look pretty and have value, but they're also dangerous. The work is a cuff that goes on a person's hand, and the vines intertwine with the fingers. Kesse noted that it restricts movement, looks dangerous, and can be uncomfortable to wear.

SHS Visual Arts Department chair Candace Rakers said, "Kesse is an outstanding educator and metalsmith who innovates exquisitely crafted one-of-a-kind works."

The Contemporary Crafts exhibition at the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum will be on view through Sunday, April 24. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/AnnualContemporaryCrafts.