INVALUABLE VOLUNTEERS
There are opportunities to train as a docent with Kimberly Sheridan, our Visitor Services Manager. We hope that we will be able to resume our group visits and popular guided tours around the museum very soon. We welcome volunteers now to learn about our spectacular collection of Fired Arts to share with our visitors. We are particularly grateful to our longest-serving volunteer docent Jan Feinglass, who has given many enlightening tours at WMODA.
SENSATIONAL SATURDAYS
Now that the museum is open on Saturdays, we need more help to receive visitors on our busiest day. Special thanks to Claudia Bailey and Jim Read who have welcomed visitors regularly to WMODA at weekends throughout the pandemic. Many volunteers have helped at our entertaining special events, including Bernette Bowen, Betsy Kennedy, Klaus Werner, John Schussler, Janet and Terrell McCombs. It is never too late to volunteer at WMODA. Helna Anestaides has enjoyed helping at party-time and she is in her nineties!
SHOP WMODA
We also need assistance in our museum shop and the new curated Studio Collection, which provides unique gift-giving opportunities for our guests. Many talented ceramics, glass, and jewelry artists show their work in the WMODA gift shop and help promote the museum to a wider audience. Carolina Bermudez, our WMODA shop manager, welcomes volunteers with a talent for sales, a flair for merchandising, or an eye for detail with inventory control. Help WMODA raise more funds for educational programs through increased shop sales.
AUDIO VIDEO
In our new virtual world, we need help from volunteers with expertise in producing and editing videos. Louise Irvine, our Executive Director and Curator, has lots of stories to tell and we are looking for retired or furloughed professionals or communications majors interested in work experience in a beautiful art museum. We were able to bring music to the museum virtually with the help of videographer Steve Lynch and harpist Esther Underhay. Public artist Lloyd Goradesky edited our first Curator’s Choice video and regularly teaches smartphone photography at WMODA. Multi-disciplinary artist Dave Rosenthal, recently composed and performed music for the lighting ceremony of our chandelier, donated by Lladró.
COMMUNITY ARTISTS
Artists in our community have generously donated their time and talents to teach others their skills at WMODA workshops and special events. Chelsea Rousso’s creative glass classes are very popular, and students have made beautiful works of art assisted by the Glass Girls - Lori Brown, Anne Orvieto, Scherry Donato, and Lisa Davis. Betsy Alexis shows visitors how to make costume jewelry from recycled materials and Tatiana Cochagne shows how Fashion and the Fired Arts overlap at WMODA. Thanks also to all the supportive artists who exhibit and demonstrate their art in the museum, including Josh Fradis, Alyssa Ligmont, Laurence Panadero, Edward and Elizabeth Prado, and Rob Stern.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Volunteers support the WMODA staff in undertaking many behind-the-scenes administrative tasks to maintain the collection and reference library, such as cataloging, data management, and photography. George Hawthorn and Mike Brodie have helped us enormously with our Collections Management and Digital Data programs. George, the husband of our Executive Director, has spent so much time at WMODA that he has been dubbed the ‘Voluntold’!
CLEAN & SPARKLING
We are often asked how we keep the museum exhibits so clean and sparkling. Shawn Orr, a long-term WMODA volunteer, comes every week to carefully dust the objects in the cabinets and polish the glass shelves. It is labor-intensive, precision work to handle all the rare antiques appropriately and we are very grateful to Shawn for his dedication. Claudia Bailey, a professional ceramics restorer, also volunteers her time to keep the Ardmore exhibit dust-free. Luis Montanez, our Logistics Manager, keeps WMODA scrupulously clean and sanitized on a daily basis, which has been so important during the pandemic.
STUDENTS & INTERNS
Many high school students have helped at WMODA to gain their community service hours, including Hannah and Leah Augusta, Katherine Gegoutchadze, Leslie Hernandez, Ariana Perez, Carly Philipps, Sam Tofexis, and Daniel Vargas. Alisa Melchanova volunteered over 500 hours before pursuing her career in nursing. WMODA also welcomes interns, who are studying art, design, humanities, and social history. Lanie Coan, Michelle Sammartino, and Darleen Smith have made significant contributions to our exhibition program. Elyse Buchanan first came to WMODA as an intern and now works as part of the WMODA team in Collections Management.
COLLECTORS & DEALERS
Collectors and specialist dealers have loaned and donated pieces to enhance WMODA exhibitions. Recently, Ed Pascoe and Ngala Trading loaned Ardmore Ceramic Art and Design products for the Safari for the Soul exhibition to support WMODA and the South African artists during the pandemic. Gifts of ceramics, glass, and other decorative arts are always welcome, and we were thrilled to receive a Steinway grand piano from Bonnie Schur. We are also grateful for continued support from Betty Issod, Angela Scott, Caroline D’Antonio, Sergio Gnesin, Jeff and Penny Spellens, Bruce Beck, Don Kendall, Arron Rimpley, and Gregg Whittecar.
EXPERTS & DEVELOPMENT
Experts in museum management and development have given much help and advice pro-bono, notably, Sandy Baker, Siegi Constantine, Annette Fromm, Betsy Kennedy, Rickie Leiter, Linda Saft, Judy Schwartz, and Linda Wilson. Our local board members Ken Evans, Donna Wiener Halberstam, and Raananah Katz use their expertise to promote WMODA in the community. Of course, WMODA would not have been possible without the generosity of our founder and benefactor, Arthur Wiener, and his family. THANK YOU FROM THE WMODA TEAM.
