Vermont
Marble Exhibit
Biography
Marsha Hemm, president of Vermont
Marble Exhibit in Proctor, was born Marsha Webster in Bristol,
Connecticut, a suburb of Hartford. Hemm moved to the Green Mountain
State of Vermont at 16 years old. Her father, English by heritage,
was from Dorval, Canada (Montreal). Her mother is from Granby
in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom (the last town
in the US to receive electricity). After marriage, they later
moved to Connecticut.
Marsha first attended high school
in Bristol, Connecticut, then upon moving to Poultney, Vermont
she entered their accelerated program and moved on, after one
year, to Castleton State College in Castleton Vermont.
She later attended Ontario College of Art in Canada, there
studying illustration and graphic design. Hemm earned an AOCA
(Associate of
Ontario College of Art degree) in 1979.
Hemm then joined the Rutland Herald, central Vermont's leading newspaper for two years. Subsequently, she joined a graphic design firm, where she furthered her knowledge of graphic design and production and, after two years, started her own design studio. In 1984, Hemm joined Vermont Marble Company of Proctor, Vermont, handling all of the firm's advertising and graphic design. It was during her tenure at Vermont Marble that she met her husband, Martin Hemm, in 1984.
During the next two years, Hemm continued working at Vermont Marble and, in 1986, started spending more time in Germany (near Würzburg), where Martin took over the family stone business. On Independence Day 1988, Marsha and Martin married and began splitting their time between Germany and Vermont where the couple kept the sales office for Carl Schilling Stoneworks (a building stone restoration firm), owned by Marsha Hemm, in Proctor and, for the following six years, spent six months each in Vermont and Germany.
In 1989, the Vermont Marble
Exhibit was for sale and the Hemms purchased it. The museum
fit perfectly with their stone business in Germany and sales
office in Proctor. Immediately, they began to refresh and re-design
existing exhibits and to develop new exhibits. Over the following
decade, the Hemms returned all profits to the Exhibit,
expanding and refining exhibits to include geography and history
in addition to the exhibits on the quarries and marble. The Exhibit's
gift shop, a main feature of the complex, was also enlarged.
The Hemms continue to expand its line of retail products.
Hemm has channeled some of her
creativity in growing their companies, Vermont Marble Exhibit,
Carl Schilling Stoneworks and Hemm GmbH. But, she
has not forsaken her love of art-far from it. Presently, Hemm
paints portraits in oil, draws with pen and ink and uses a variety
of media in her works. Hemm expresses herself through her art,
and feels strongly
that critics tend to stifle creativity and freedom of expression.
Hemm prefers to work solely to express and please herself and
her family.
Hemm and her husband, Martin, live
both in Vermont and in Kirchheim,
Germany. The couple has two children, Martina (12 years) and
Max (9 years).
Contact: Glenn Faria
Michael Patrick Destinations & Communications
396 Main Street, Suite #3, Hyannis, MA 02601-3900
508-790-0566 F 508-790-0565
www.mpdcltd.com glenn@mpdcltd.com
