HTBAF: More Than A Job

This month, we’re in the gallery on the eve of Marlene Hausegger’s exhibit, “Scabby: A Rat About Town.” Scabby, the giant rat who stands as herald, as town crier outside non-union work sites. Inspired by Scabby, our theme this month is “More than a Job.”

Scabby is a reminder of work’s seamy underbelly: employers who cut corners, who see workers as tools or pawns, devaluing their skills and dismissing their rights. Scabby focuses us on the ways our work is and isn’t valued, the ways we as workers are and aren’t valued, the ways we do and don’t define ourselves through the work we do.

In so many ways (too many?), our lives are about the many jobs we do all at once: friend, caregiver, housekeeper, cook, parent, sibling, accountant, neighbor, community member … and, sometimes, person with paid employment. And? Who are we beyond our jobs? What does “work” mean in our lives? Come get industrious with us at HTBAF, clock in and hear some excellent stories.

STORYTELLERS:

If every loaf of bread tells a story, Karen Bornarth is an experienced storyteller in the world of baking, where each loaf and bakery reflects a larger narrative of growth, resilience, and empowerment. Through more than 20 years of experience, Karen has woven her love for baking with her dedication to uplifting others, whether through education, workforce development, or industry leadership. As Executive Director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America, Karen helps shape the stories of bakers, bakery owners, and their teams by fostering learning, creating opportunities for connection, and supporting their entrepreneurial aspirations. Her work doesn’t just elevate baking techniques but also transforms livelihoods and communities, offering bakers and bakeries a path to sustainable success.

In her previous role at Hot Bread Kitchen in NYC, Karen crafted another compelling chapter by driving economic opportunity for immigrant women and women of color. She developed programs that helped small food businesses and frontline workers thrive, sharing the stories of individuals whose lives were changed through access to skills, mentorship, and stable careers. Karen’s own story began at Amy’s Bread, where her work as a production baker transformed into one of leadership and mentorship. Whether teaching at the French Culinary Institute or managing bakery teams at Le Pain Quotidien, she always focused on storytelling—connecting the craft of bread-making with the broader narrative of social justice, opportunity, and progress in the food sector.

And although Karen is known to tell an entertaining yarn around a dinner table, this is her first time telling a story as an official ”storyteller” with How to Build a Fire. She lived for 20+ years in Park Slope and moved to the western Catskills in 2020 with her son, Charlie.  There, she works from home while managing two rambunctious dogs, gardens badly, hikes regularly, sings in a local choir and wishes that she were a poet.

Kwesi Joseph is an Urban Gardens Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Harvest New York, where he focuses on vegetable production, integrated pest management (IPM), and enhancing soil health and plant nutrient density using compost and biochar. In addition to his role at CCE, Kwesi is pursuing an Executive MBA at Cornell’s Johnson School of Business, with an expected graduation in May 2025. His innovative work in urban agriculture has been featured in multiple publications. Kwesi is passionate about applying forward-thinking, sustainable practices that benefit both communities and the environment.

Matt Kohn directed CALL IT DEMOCRACY, a film about the injustice of voting within the system of the Electoral College,  and OUR TALL MAN, about South Sudanese NBA star Manute Bol. COLORBLIND COLOR CORRECTOR, his first fiction feature film, is in post-production. Matt shot parts of HEART OF A DOG for Laurie Anderson and produced CHARLIE VICTOR ROMEO, the first 3D Feature Film at the Sundance Film Festival. For many years, Matt hosted monthly film screening series SPEAKEASY CINEMA, awarded Village Voice’s “Best of NY 2016.”Matt graduated Brandeis University with a degree in Political Science, with an emphasis in film studies and feminist political theory.