Ashtabula Arts Center News

Volunteers play a vital role at the Arts Center. From working in the box office and concession stands selling tickets or popcorn, to baking goodies for art exhibits and helping children with craft projects for "Kids Day Out" programs or stuffing envelopes for mass mailings, volunteers keep the Arts Center running. Please call to learn about all of our upcoming volunteer opportunities! 964-3396

Volunteers will be needed for the following:~Donations of cheese and/or fruit trays, crackers, hors d’eouvres, for our “Natural Elements” art exhibit on Sept. 11th. ~Ushers, box office & concessions workers for "Peter and the Wolf" on Sept. 18 & 19 AND “Blithe Spirit” opening Oct. 30.~Kitchen workers and servers for our Dinner Before the Show.~Volunteers for our “Kids Day Out” program on Oct. 16.

Thank you volunteers for all that you do!

The Arts Center is in need of donations of the following:

Copy paper (white and colored)
Card stock (white and colored)
Highlighter pens
Sharpie markers
White-out
Masking tape
Transparent tape
Envelopes (all sizes)
Christmas/other decorated long envelopes (gift certificate size)
Small paper clips
Misc. desk accessories
Blank DVD's
Blank CD-R or CD-RW
CD/DVD jewel cases

Pump-bottle hand soap
Bleach
Dish soap
boxes of tissue
paper towels

Small (dessert size) paper plates
Coffee
Tea bags
Hot chocolate mix
Bottled water

First class stamps


Thank you!

Volunteers are people from all walks of life, all ages and stages. What they have in common is the desire to make a difference in their community – and in their own life – by giving of their time and expertise. Not only do they learn new skills, but they can volunteer in their area of expertise and teach their skills to others.

Youth volunteers have many reasons for why they volunteer: to discover their talents, to explore career options, to act on their social awareness, to gain self-confidence, to build a sense of independence or to complete high school curriculum requirements. Volunteering is also a great way to help them get accepted into the college of their choice. College’s look for well-rounded students and volunteerism is one of the things admissions officers love to see on a student’s application. It shows that they are community minded and it will give him a decided edge over those who have done no volunteering.

If you are pursuing a profession or looking for a new job, volunteer work can do wonders for your resume. Volunteering shows you are ambitious and enthusiastic, and it gives you noted experience which your prospective employers will not be able to overlook.
Some people volunteer with members of their family. When time is short and the demands are many, family volunteering offers a wonderful opportunity for family members to be together while contributing to their community.

Older adult volunteers know that experience matters. Volunteering provides opportunities for them to use valuable skills, to give back to their communities, to mentor others, and to create and maintain relationships.

Volunteers play a vital role at the Ashtabula Arts Center. We can always use your help. Volunteers are needed throughout the year to work our box office and concession stands and to usher and sell raffle tickets at each of our theater performances. Volunteers are needed to cook, serve and clean-up at our G. B. Theater dinners in the fall and winter. We need volunteers to build and paint sets, sew costumes, run lights, work back stage crews, and help children with craft projects during our many events geared toward children. Throughout the year there are show programs to be folded and envelopes to be stuffed and labeled. For art exhibit openings and music performances we need volunteers to donate homebaked goodies and hors d’oeuvre trays.

We greatly need and appreciate all the help we get from so many of you throughout the year. And whether you’ve been volunteering for years (as so many of you have!) or you’ve never volunteered before, we hope that you will take the time this summer to stop in, say ‘hi’ and sign up on one of our volunteer sheets. We’ll ask you what you’re interests and needs are and we’ll find just the right volunteer job for you! Give us a call at (440) 964-3396!

Volunteers are also needed as box office and concession workers, ushers and raffle ticket sellers for all of our upcoming shows.

By Debbie Venable

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU" to all the volunteers who helped get the New Year off to a great start! From our theatre volunteers for two great shows to our dessert bakers for Dessert Nights and Coffeehouse and especially to our kitchen help and dinner servers who served capacity crowds - we could NOT have done it without your help! Your volunteer efforts at the Arts Center help to enrich the experience of all those who participate in our various programs and events. Thank you again for giving of your time and talents.

March and April will be busy months with lots of opportunity to volunteer. On the GB stage, we have the dynamic "Inherit the Wind" and then move to the other end of the spectrum with the hilarious "Complete History of America (Abridged)". The Youth Theatre Production class will finish out our season in April with "Jungle Book."

We are continuing our Dessert Nights and dinners for the two GB shows so we will need volunteers for theatre help, baked goods, kitchen help and servers. In addition to the theatre schedule, we are also in need of baked goods for the Buzz Cronquist Coffeehouse and the March art exhibit. As we head into the Membership Drive, we would greatly appreciate helpers to get the mass mailing ready.

As you can see, we have many opportunities for volunteers. It may not seem like much of an effort to bake a couple dozen cookies, seat theatergoers, or stuff envelopes but every effort truly contributes to the quality and continuance of the Arts Center's programs and events. If you would like to join our volunteer ranks, please give me a call at 964-3396.

Note to students who need community service hours: we can help you out and make this a win-win situation for all.

By Debbie Venable

"But baby, it's cold outside!" But what else would we expect from January in Ohio? If bundling up for outdoor winter sports is not your idea of fun, consider joining us at the Arts Center for some warm indoor activities. Our January GB Theatre show will have you laughing out loud, while the February performance will leave you humming a tune. We need volunteers to help with these theatre productions - box office help, ushers, concessions, dessert bakers and dinner helpers. We also have two Kids' Day Out scheduled and we will need volunteers to help with that active group!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who helped us close out 2005 with the "Guys and Dolls" dinners and shows, and "The Nutcracker" performances. We greatly appreciate your help, especially during the busy holiday season when spare time seems so scarce. During the season of giving, they gave their time to help make these productions possible! We had a number of new volunteers this fall and we hope to see you again along with our veteran volunteers in this New Year.

As you can see from the listings in this newsletter, we have plenty of activities to keep you busy either as a spectator or volunteer. So instead of hibernating in this cold weather, please consider joining our group of volunteers for music, theatre and dance activities, along with friend, food and fun! We'll beat the winter doldrums together!

By Debbie Venable

THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped to get the G.B. Theatre season and our other Fall events off to a great start! We greatly appreciate you donating your time and efforts to the Arts Center. We could not do it without your help!

Recently, I had the pleasure of accompanying the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus on their European tour. This organization is comprised of over 150 volunteer members who donate their time and talents to bring beautiful music to their audiences. As I got to know many of these people, I discovered they were much like our volunteer corps. There is a wide range of ages, diverse backgrounds and occupations from students, teachers, doctors, and business owners. And yet they have one thing in common - a love of the art and the pleasure of bringing that art to the community! That is what our Arts Center volunteers do when they donate their time - they make it possible to bring the arts to OUR community.

Many of the people we traveled with mentioned that their love of music began by being exposed to it as a child or young adult. Sometimes it was a music teacher, a concert or stage show they attended that influenced them. When you volunteer at the Arts Center, you make it possible for families to attend an evening of theatre, "The Nutcracker", music recitals, and Kid's Fest.

Please consider joining us with your time and talents.

We are looking for:
Donations of homebaked cookies, cakes, pies and other dessert items for our pre-theater dessert buffets. Our next dessert buffets will be held Saturday, September 10th and Saturday, September 17th. If you are willing to make a dessert for either day, please give us a call!

Donations of cheese trays, fruit platters and desserts for our art exhibit opening receptions on September 16th and October 7th.

Persons to cook, serve and work in the kitchen for Saturday night dinners

Ushers, box office workers, concessions workers, and raffle ticket sellers

Tech crews

Costumers and backstage workers

Please call Volunteer Coordinator, Debbie Venable, if you can give us a hand!
(440) 964-3396

By Debbie Venable

Summer is finally here and our Straw Hat Theatre season got off to a flying start with "Peter Pan." "Thank you! Thank you!" to all of the
volunteers who made this possible. What an energetic and fun group of people to be working with and what a great way to spend a summer evening!
As the season progresses, we will continue to need
volunteer help with the box office, ushering, the concession stand and raffles for the upcoming shows. We could also use help with behind the scene projects like costumes and sets. If you have culinary talents, you could assist us with dinners or baked good donations for art exhibit openings.
The Arts Center is currently busy with summer classes and our Multi-Arts Day Camp for kids. In addition to all of this energy and activity, we will be having our annual Kids Fest on August 6th. If you would like to help with this event, we guarantee a fun day with the kids and great hot dogs!
Please stop by the Arts Center or give me a call at (440) 964-3396. We'll be happy to find a niche for you and your talents!

By Debbie Venable
Volunteer Coordinator

As we wrap up our GB Theatre season, I would like to thank our volunteers for all their time and effort. In the short time I have been at the Arts Center I have learned how essential your help is to having events run smoothly. It has been great meeting so many of you and renewing some old acquaintances. Some of you are seasoned AAC volunteers and have been nice enough to "show me the ropes." Thank you so very much for volunteering!
Although April started off with a nasty snowstorm, I think spring is finally here! At home we are busy getting things ready for a bountiful summer garden with a variety of vegetables and flowers. Even though this garden means considerable time and effort on our part, we know it is worth the enjoyment that we will reap well into the winter months. Here at the Arts Center we too are busy getting things ready for a variety of summer activities: Straw Hat Theatre, summer camps, summer lessons, etc. We will need volunteers to usher for Straw Hat, run the concession stands and help with summer camp. Won't you consider spending some of your time with us? In addition to helping the Arts Center out, you will likely make new friends and have fun!

We have volunteers of all ages and talents and lots of jobs to be done. For students who need community service hours, this is a fun way to put in your time.Please feel free to stop by the Arts Center or give me a call at (440) 964-3396. Together we will find the job that best fits your interests and talents. Looking forward to a fun and busy summer!