April is National Volunteer Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions of volunteers. At WMODA, we are very grateful to our team of volunteers who are helping to create a dynamic visitor experience in our new Hollywood location.

Even before you enter WMODA, you can see the results of Julio “Flipper” DiFilippo’s hard work on the museum grounds. For the last 18 months, he has been working outside early in the morning, pruning bushes and clearing debris in the parking lots surrounding the building. He can also be seen assisting in the galleries during special events in his dapper outfits. Read more about Flipper’s amazing contribution to WMODA in last year’s volunteering article.

Volunteer at WMODA | Wiener Museum

George Hawthorn, our long-term “voluntold,” alias the husband of our Executive Director, continues to work remotely on photo editing and video projects while he has been overseas. He will be back at WMODA in April and is looking forward to catching up with all his friends at the Art Deco Weekend celebration on April 26 & 27.

In March, in honor of Women’s History Month, we acknowledged all the talented women who work for WMODA. Now, we want to celebrate our female volunteers who are sharing their passion for arts and culture with our visitors. Claudia Bailey is a ceramics restorer and has been involved with WMODA since 2017 in a professional capacity and as a volunteer at special events. She is now a valued gallery guide answering visitors’ questions in the Ardmore exhibition, one of her favorite spots in the museum. You can read about Claudia’s long-term contribution to WMODA in our 2020 article.

Who’s Who at WMODA – Claudia Bailey

Dale King moved from Manhattan to Florida and was missing the museums of New York City until a friend described her visit to WMODA as “Wonderful! Amazing! Beyond!” Dale was inspired to offer her experience as an educational consultant and has been volunteering at the museum for over a year. Her favorite exhibits are the Chihuly flowers and the Dragon’s Den.

Mary Brown is originally from Chicago and moved to Florida 30 years ago to be closer to her sister. She has been a secretary for most of her career and her main hobby is hand-building ceramics. Because of this, she first discovered WMODA in the original Dania Beach location and decided to volunteer at our new Hollywood home when we reopened. She is fascinated by the Royal Doulton exhibition vases made for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, her home city. Mary was delighted to be volunteering at the museum when pioneering glass artist Toots Zynsky stopped in for a visit.

Judy Cooper is a semi-retired special education teacher who was concerned about how she would fill her days until she discovered WMODA. “From the moment I stepped through the doors, I could sense its specialness. I have not only learned so much about art and artists but have also gained an extraordinary kind, caring and inclusive new family.” She particularly appreciates the Ardmore Gallery because of the heartwarming story behind the development of the South African artists, which testifies to the proverb “It takes a village.” Judy has quickly become a successful sales assistant in the Ardmore Design Shop, benefiting the Ardmore community and the WMODA educational programs.

Elena Levitskaya has been volunteering as a gallery guide at WMODA since we reopened. She is a music graduate from Baku Conservatory in Azerbaijan and immigrated to the USA in 1992. Throughout her life, she has explored the magical possibilities of theatre and its connection with other performing arts – music, dance, and multimedia. She was the author and presenter of weekly radio-theatre episodes on the Russian Radio channel in Chicago. She believes that WMODA is an inspirational mecca for a creative mind and heart and takes pride in being part of it during her winter months in Florida.