Volunteers
The MacLarenArtCentre has a fantastic group of volunteers who contribute enormously to our success. We have a challenging and exciting programme that keeps our volunteers at the forefront of our work in the community and at the MacLarenArtCentre. If you would like to learn more about becoming a Volunteer at the MacLaren, please contact Peter Bogle, Volunteer Coordinator, 705-720-1044 ext. 277 or peter@maclarenart.com
In the Spotlight: Volunteer Anne Menzies
Chair, Benefactor Art Exchange
Anne Menzies has been volunteering at the MacLaren for over a decade. While working full time as an art teacher and department head at Stayner Collegiate, Anne took on what she describes as "small" volunteer jobs at the Gallery, selling raffle tickets and working at the MacLaren’s Kempenfest booth.
When she retired in February 2003, Anne signed on for the Shorelines Project , becoming part of the team for artist Alfio Bonnano. She explains, “I am really drawn to his artworks, which draw attention to our natural environment. It was a wonderful experience working with him and I met some of my favourite people as we worked together bending and twisting long sticks into shapes, holding them in place with twisted wires. Jennie Clark, Mary Cellucci, Sue Hickling, Hanne Fynbo and Sheila Delaney all became part of my art world family.”
In 2005 Anne and her friend Joanna McEwen planned and led a New York art trip to see The Gates, the Christo installation in Central Park. Anne recalls, “What a remarkable experience it was! It was incredibly beautiful and very celebratory. This trip was so successful that we led another trip in 2007."
Anne has been actively involved in the success of the annual Benefactor Art Exchange Evening since 2004, “It is an incredible amount of work and a huge time commitment. I have remained involved because I really believe in the programme and I love working with Sheila Delaney.”
The rest of Anne’s life is divided between time with friends and family. Her two children live in Aurora and Midhurst so she is able to see them and her four grandchildren quite often. She loves to garden and to travel, having been on many wonderful trips, visiting Greece, Crete, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Scotland and the Orkney Isles, Spain, Italy, Sicily, Malta, France. Last year it was Tanzania and Zanzibar then BC, Haida Gwaii and Peru. Anne says she was “getting her fill” because she has committed to babysitting her Aurora grandchildren two days a week!
Thank you, Anne, for your leadership, generosity and commitment to the MacLaren and the Benefactor Membership Programme.
Current Volunteers:
Chris Adams, Vi Andersen, John Arruda, Deb Atkinson, Eric Aubin, Keenan Aylwin, Sandy Barker, Vivian Barrow, Claudine Benoit, Jesse Bettencourt, Steve Bertram, Elaine Bigelow, Ted Bigelow, Kirsten Binnie, Marilyn Black, Alexandra Bond, Cathie Bowden, Craig Bowden, Carolyn Boyer, Scott Boyer, Sheila Bristow, Rod Burns, Judi Butler, Karen Byles, Jennifer Campbell, Barb Canning, Nadine Carr, Bonnie Carter, Mary Cellucci, Alex Charbonneau, Jennie Clark, Harold Cook, Jennifer Copeland, Marg Cotton-Cottle, Michael Coughlin, Allan Craig, Laurie Crosson, Courtney Curtis, Erica Curtis, Thomas Cuthbertson, Sharon Dangerfield, Claudia Davies, Sean Decan, Joan Decarie, Frances Delaney, James Delaney, Flo Delkus, John Delves, Amber Dimock, Spencer Dinning, Matt Disember, Kristen Dittmann, Sabrina Dittmann, Ainsley Drake, Evelyn Dunn, Lynnette Eisen, Emily Eisenbraun-Stone, Audrey Eveleigh, Connor Eveleigh, Jim Fairhead, Jane Falls, Stephen Farrell, Nyssa Fawcett, Marie Fisher, Deadre Floyd, Kate Forrest, Jaclyn Geisberger, Gerald George, Christine Gibbens, Ann Gilbart, Efrem Gomes, Ingi Gould, Patti Gwin, Karen Hansen, Pat Hart, Tessa Harwood, Lauren Hayward, Shirley Hazleden, Roy Hickling, Susan Hickling, Caleb Hicks, Cambrie Hicks, Marlene Hilton- Moore, Janet Goldblatt Homes, Russ Hope, Mary Howden, Michael Howe, Miranda Ivany, Brooke Jacoby, Al Jones, Sheila Judges, Evelyn Kain, Sarah Kastner, Janet Kemp, Sharon Kitsemetry, Judy Klementti, Ryan Krelove, Cassie Kumpula, Kathleen Lamoureaux, Danielle LaRose, Louise Liang, Liz Lockhart, Pam Logan, Heather Long, Mary Losell, Greg Lowry, Laura MacLaughlan, Heather Mason, Sarah Massie, Joanne McEwen, Anne Menzies, Peter Miehm, Robin Milani, Elaine Morton, Isabelle Nat, Diane Neal, Wayne Neal, Hanne Nielsen, Allen Nsubuga, Florence Nsubuga, Tommy Nsbubga, Laura O’Grady, Graydon Oldfield, Jason O’Neill, Sandra Orr, Sarah Osborne, Mike Palmer, Gerry Pilon, Adrian Pisano, Selina Pisano, Chris Pratt, Ariel Pretty, Phoebe Pretty, Jill Price, Gail Raikes, Diane Richards, Claude Richardson, Don Richardson, Arnie Ridley, Lorrie Ridley, Barb Robillard, Cody Robertson, Victoria Router, Mary Jane Sarjeant, Jessica Sauve, Alexandria Schneider, Kelly Shuttleworth, Amy Skinner, Carver Smith, Amy- Lee Soucie, Susan Steinberg, Della Stevens- Brain, Lynn Stevenson, Lynn Stokes, Colin Sugg, Sally Sullivan, Katrice Sutherland, Betty Ann Taylor, Lynn Therien, Terry Thomas, France Tremblay, Sean Trudel, Michelle Tuck, Carolyn Van Wort, Barry Ward, David Warren, Bud Watson, Stacie Weber, Karen White, Georgina Wiggins, Charlotte Williams, Regina Williams, Denise Wilson, Erna Winchcombe, Andrew Zyp, Simcoe Community Services