Denise Wallace-Spriggs

“My father taught me that ‘you can’t know a thing, until you know a thing.’ I like to meet students where they are, and work with them on professionalizing their skills. I take great joy from their growth and achievement in my classes and beyond. I feel that I am their teacher for life and they, in turn, are my teachers.”

Denise Wallace-Spriggs has taught Millinery, Dyeing, and Costume Crafts for almost 25 years at Boston University. She is currently the Resident Crafts Artisan/Dyer for the Huntington Theatre Company and the proprietor of Winged Heart Millinery, where she makes custom-made hats. Denise also does freelance millinery and crafts for clients such as the Manhattan Theatre Club, Disney Cruise lines, Big Apple Circus, American Repertory Theater, and the Glimmerglass Opera, to name a few. In addition to theatre and opera work, Denise does some freelance dyeing and millinery for films in the New England area and teaches workshops in millinery and dyeing. Her design experience includes three years as the Resident Designer at the Wellesley College Theatre, and freelance costume design in the Boston area.

Awards

Denise was the 2015 recipient of the Dr. Adrian Tinsley Award for Achievement in the Arts from Bridgewater State College.