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.
Flipper and Kimberly
Louise Irvine has been our illustrious leader since 2014, when she began researching the museum’s vast collections and curating spectacular exhibitions and programs for WMODA. She masterminded the move to our new Hollywood location and envisioned the new galleries, which won the Florida Association of Museums Excellence Award in 2023. She was recently interviewed for Art Loft on South Florida PBS, which gives a great overview of the new WMODA.
Volunteer at WMODA | Wiener Museum
George and Louise
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. Alan Eisen has recently joined us to assist with video editing following his recent retirement and move to Florida. He offered to volunteer after enjoying his first visit to WMODA and wants to get involved with our vibrant community.
Claudia Bailley
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.
Dale and Kimberly
Lori
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 with Toots Zynsky
Kimberly and Maria
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
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.
Elena
Shirley Ginter is a reading specialist who returned to university in her forties to pursue a BFA in art history and painting. Volunteering at WMODA allows her to share her knowledge and appreciation with visitors while surrounded by beautiful art. Shirley encourages others to join her as a volunteer, “It’s a win-win situation and I thoroughly recommend it.”
Shirley
Wendy Chercass has been involved with WMODA for many years, selling her beautiful beadwork jewelry in the Museum Shop and demonstrating her artwork at special events. “I love the WMODA so much that I recently started volunteering. Being around such beautiful works of art just makes me happy!” Wendy also has a passion for all things furry and owns a "bed n breakfast" for dogs located in Hollywood.
Wendy
Andrea Mora is a recent art history graduate from Florida International University with an ambition to work as a curator in an art museum. She has been volunteering for experience to help her find a job in the museum world. We welcome students and interns at WMODA and as a 501c3 not-for-profit museum can offer community service hours.
Andrea
Volunteering has been shown to increase happiness and improve well-being by building camaraderie with fellow volunteers, visitors and staff who share your passions. If you would like to share your enthusiasm for arts and culture to enrich our guest experience at WMODA, please contact Kimberly Sheridan, our Visitor Services Manager and Volunteer Coordinator for an interview. [email protected].