Volunteer!

Be a part of Anacortes' largest community event of the year, the 2008 Anacortes Arts Festival. Volunteers are the backbone of the Festival and ambassadors to our many out of town visitors. Mary Leone (staff) oversees the Volunteer function with help from experienced volunteer team leaders. Please consider experiencing the Festival through the eyes of a volunteer.

Download a Volunteer Profile Form (93k PDF file) or call our office at 360-293-6211 or send us an email: volunteer@anacortesartsfestival.com.

Benefits to Volunteers

A wonderful sense of community
A free Festival T-shirt for those who complete the orientation and 4 hours of service
A volunteers-only Orientation and Reception
Special training in your area of volunteering
Special recognition for 5 or more years of service

Four Hour Shifts

Booth Sitter: Relieve Booth Vendors allowing them to take a break.
Information Booth: Provide directions and program information about the Festival (3+ years general Festival experience required).
Docent/Art Cashier: Secure artwork in Port Warehouse, answers questions regarding artwork and write up art work sales. Must have an arts background or a demonstrated interest in art.
Distribution/Publicity: Pre-festival poster distribution, hang sponsor banners, help with Publicity.
Exhibition Team: Art show set-up, take down. Must have exhibition production or art handling experience.
Hospitality Room: Serve refreshments and maintain the room for Booth Artisans who wish to take a quiet break.
Production: Provide physical set-up and take down of the Festival. Some jobs require manual labor and construction knowledge.
Office: Help with phones, mail outs, Booth Artisan Check-In and Check-Out (banking or accounting experience needed).
Youth Activities: Help participating groups with youth area arts activities

2008 Orientation Schedule

July 24 - Docents and other Art Show Volunteers
5:30 pm at the Port of Anacortes

July 29 - All Other Volunteers (Booth Sitters, Beer Garden, Hospitality, Info Booths)
6:00 pm at Gere-a-Deli

Volunteer of Year

Congratulations to Laura Hamilton, pictured on the right, who was selected by the Anacortes Arts Festival Board of Directors as the Volunteer of the Year. Laura managed the entire Volunteer operation at the Port this year in addition to helping with the Exhibition Team setup and take down of the Art Show. In the months prior to the Festival she helped with publicity, editing and flyer and poster distribution. Our sincerest gratitude, Laura.

Five or more years...

The Festival recognizes the following individuals who have volunteered for five or more years:

Judith Light
Peggy Lipsey
Evelyne Messer
Carol Miner
Beth Morgan
Dale Morgan
Betsy Myles
Bill Oliver
Joyce Paradine
Diane Perlow (2002 Volunteer of the Year)
George Schlosser
Virginia Schlosser
Billie Schooler
Joanne Sheeley
Shirley Smith (2004 Volunteer of the Year)
Bob Williams
Virginia Williams
Nancy Wilson
Beth Woll

Patricia Alabran
Richard Bergner
Mort Brandler
Riva Brandler
Jamie Bruce
Sherry Chavers
Melanie Coyne
Geralyn Curtis (2005 Volunteer of the Year)
Dea D'Acquisto
Betty Dawes
Lee Dawes
Barbara Farrell
Ann Hanover
Sandra Hart
Joyce Holt
Joyce Humenik
Claire Ingstad (2003 Volunteer of the Year)
Karen Jackson
Sharon Klint

Notes to 2007 Volunteers

Thank you to all our 2007 Volunteers. You handled the many unexpected "surprises" that came up and worked almost double the hours of previous years. Many of you who have served for several years were invaluable to the Festival and newer volunteers.

Our special thanks to our Team Leaders who always go the extra mile to plan, recruit, schedule and train: Geralyn Curtis, Info Booths; Laura Hamilton, Docents; Michele Bruce, Beer Garden; Lanny Bergner, Art Show Production; Nancy Vogel, Art Handling.

The Information Booth piloted a new 10th Street Info Booth in '07 that was so well received that we plan to do it again next year. Better scheduling at peak hours helped the Port Exhibitions run better than ever. Our energetic exhibition team handled difficult display challenges expertly. Hospitality and Boothsitters garnered even more kudos than ever from Booth Artisans.

"Flawless!" is how our accountant Earl Hillis described our checkout masters Sarah LeMaister, Terry Alverdes and Steve Alverdes.

What You Said

Questionnaire results showed that:

Overwhelmingly you liked the buttons, but want to keep the T-shirts.
Everyone liked her/his job and would to do it again.
Booth sitters want to tighten up scheduling and ensure that vendors stick to their 20 minute breaks.
Many of you said that you want to volunteer in additional areas next year.

Thanks again for all you do.

Mary Leone
Volunteer Coordinator

Home >