July 2019

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

What’s New ........................ 2 Season Outlook .................. 2 Summer Trainings ............. 3 Symposium ......................... 4 Democratic Debates Recap 5 Appreciation Dinner .......... 6 Subscriptions………….……...6 ArtsLaunch ......................... 7 Next Season Tckt Requests 7 Advisory Team News ......... 8 Contemporary Gallery ....... 9

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST

• National Intern Day

• Docent Assistant

• Colson Whitehead

• Vision Statement

• Listening Sessions

• Reminders

• Farewell Carlton

• Farewell Melissa

• Volunteer Pins

The Bridge

Volunteer Newsletter

Summer is here! This year, instead of one summer blockbuster show, we are hosting multiple summer shows! Be sure to check out the website for the variety of shows coming this summer

After a busy season we are looking forward to relaxing a bit and catching up. Although there won’t be a lot of shows, there are still plenty of other opportunities to help out this summer especially if you are available for administrative help.

This summer, we are also reflecting on what we did well and where we can improve to make the next season the best one yet!

We will keep you posted on everything! Thank you for joining us on the journey.

Happy Summer!

Sincerely,

Nicole

Interns are part of the volun-

teer program that don’t often

get mentioned. In honor of

National Intern Day on

July 25th, I thought I would

share some fun internship

facts!

We have interns from over

30 different colleges and

universities in the US and

abroad including NYU,

Tuskegee, Howard, FAMU,

FSU, UCF, UM, FIU and

Barry University.

We have almost 60 interns

per season

They represent over 8

different countries

So far this season they

have contributed 5700

volunteer hours

They take part in Arsht

University where the

Department heads give a

workshop on what their

dept. does at the Center.

Kindness And Respect Manifests Achievement

2

WHAT’S NEW WHAT’S COMING

1. Volunteer Symposium and

Photo Shoot

2. Arts Launch

3. 2019/2020 Volunteer Season

Outlook

National Intern Day 2019-2020 VOLUNTEER

SEASON OUTLOOK

Sunday, September 15, 2019

2p—5p

The 2019-2020 season is upon us and promises to bring a lot of

excitement and many more memorable moments. As we prepare for the upcom-

ing season, we would like to share with you updates on topics discussed at the

Town Hall meeting, survey results, proposed implementations based on the

survey results and the outlook and goals for both the Center and the volunteer

program for the next season. Please join us for an afternoon full of anticipation,

optimism and fun! Mark your calendars! You will receive hours for attendance

and parking is covered. Can’t wait to see you there!

Photo by Tony Tur (Arsht Employee)

Another way to earn hours

this summer is to sign up

for a Docent Assistant shift.

Any volunteer is eligible to

do so. It is a great way to

continue to learn more

about the Center and meet

new and interesting guests

from all over the world in a

different light! Tours are

every Monday and Saturday

at noon! Sign up and join in

the fun!

Seating for the Colson Whitehead event that will be held next Friday, July 26, 2019 at 8:00 PM in the KCH is chang-ing.

It will now be reverse config-uration, using the Miami Libre chairs (padded bistro-style chairs). The event will now be general admission, with a total capacity of 378 seats. This total capacity includes 128 choral riser locations, which we will move in to if sales warrant. If you requested tickets to this event, the box office will be reaching out to you regarding seat changes.

3

SUMMER TRAININGS Summer Trainings:

We are encouraging everyone this summer to take part in our summer training series. All of our new ushers who started as of January 1, 2019 have already been introduced to the training and we would like the rest of the team to hear the same inspiring message! All volunteers (ushers and admin) are encouraged to take the Ubuntu training and all ushers (trainee, usher, seasoned usher) are en-couraged to take all trainings listed below. You will receive 3 hours and parking is covered for each training.

Ubuntu / Scanning -

In this training you will learn about the spirit of UBUNTU and how it translates into being a volunteer. The second part of this training is an introduction / refresher on using the new scanners.

Wednesday, July 31 6:30 pm Thursday, August 1 2 pm Saturday, August 3 1 pm Tuesday, August 13 6:30 pm Thursday, August 15 2 pm Saturday, August 17 1 pm Seating / Emergency Procedures This training reviews basic venue knowledge, covers seating, emergency proce-dures and much more. All volunteers are eligible for this training and are encour-aged to participate. Great for any usher who feels as though they given the same assignments. This training will help to improve skills needed to be flexible to usher on any tier. Tuesday, August 6 6:30 pm Thursday, August 8 2 pm Saturday, August 10 1 pm Tuesday, September 10 6:30 pm Thursday, September 12 2 pm Saturday, September 14 1 pm

Seasoned Usher Status:

To have Seasoned Usher Status and access to the calendar on the first of each months, please see the below.

DOCENT

ASSISTANT

Current Seasoned Ushers Current Ushers Ushers starting as

of January 1, 2019

Usher a minimum of 130

usher hours per season

Attend *Seating / Emer-

gency Training

Attend Ubuntu /

Scanner Training

Attend *Seating /

Emergency Training

Attend Arsht Center

Sensitivity training

Successfully pass

the online Safety

training

Either 6 months or

minimum of 72

hours of ushering

hours

*The Seating/Emergency procedure training is replacing the former Seasoned Usher

Training. It is similar but has been updated and modified.

COLSON

WHITEHEAD

.

Remember, you can try as

many times as you like. The

only caveat is it must be

word for word correct to

receive the 5 incentive hours.

I would like to capture video

of our volunteers reciting the

vision to share with the staff

and as a gift to John Richard,

our CEO before he retires in

December.

This is a reminder of the

additional group challenge!

1.The group must be a

minimum of 5 people.

2.If the group can say the

vision in unison, every-

one will receive the same

5 hours, but in addition,

the entire group will re-

ceive one extra incentive

hour for the number of

people in the group.

Example:

Group of 5 says it

correctly.

Everyone receives a base

of 5 points

Since 5 people were in the

group, 5 extra hours are

earned.

Total incentive hours

awarded is 10 hours

Gather your friends and

lets earn some hours!

4

VISION

STATEMENT

2019-2020 VOLUNTEER

SYMPOSIUM

Sunday, August 25th

11a—2p

Announcing our annual Volunteer Symposium! This event will be taking place to

help prepare everyone for ArtsLaunch. See the tentative schedule below (you

will receive hours for attending):

11a – 12p – 2019-2020 season presentation by Programming

12p – 1p – Volunteer Photo Shoot (pics in both uniforms)

1p – 2p – Lunch

2p—3p— ArtsLaunch Tour Guide training (optional)

Season Overview: Programming will be presenting an overview of the

upcoming season to the entire volunteer team. You will not want to miss this!

You will have an opportunity to get an in depth look as well as ask questions

about the upcoming season.

Volunteer Photo Shoot: We have hired a professional photographer for the

day to capture new group photos. The photographer will be taking group pictures

in the ZBOH/CST and KCH in both the usher uniform as well as the “Red Shirt”

Uniform.

Docent Training: If you are interested in helping to lead an abridged tour, or

help assist the Artslaunch tours, we will have a brief training after lunch.

Over the past few months,

Johann has been busy visit-

ing local communities to

hear how they would like

the Arsht Center to impact

them. His first stop was

with the Arsht Center Vol-

unteer team. Several volun-

teers helped with the effort

going into the community to

support both Johann and

Suzette. They were nothing

less than thrilled with the

support they received from

the volunteer team!

Well Done!

5

LISTENING SESSIONS

Man Oh Man! They came, they saw, they left. What a historically monumental moment for the Arsht Center. I still feel the excitement and energy that flooded our halls when I remi-nisce about this event! We were seen across the world and our volunteers played a huge role in the event. Each volunteer who helped with the event received a personalized commemorative ticket specially printed for the debates and received a HUGE applaud at the debate recap party! Job well done team! Job well done! See the note Johann sent out to the team. I wanted to make sure you knew about it!

DEMOCRATIC DEBATES

Colleagues

WOW, WOW, WOW!

Over the last few days, hundreds of millions of people watched. They watched democracy

at work, and met twenty presidential hopefuls. They watched as US citizens, engaging in

the governance of our country. They also watched as global citizens – from every corner

of this planet (and maybe from Mars?) – eager to get a glimpse of where future global

leadership might go. And they watched us – the Arsht family – in action at our very best.

They saw beautiful drone footage of our “two mountains;” they saw gorgeous interiors, lit

to perfection; they saw huge crowds being shepherded through our facility with orderly

kindness; they saw people smiling because they felt excited and SAFE; they saw people

from every possible stripe on the demographic spectrum that is Miami, and they saw flaw-

less execution of impossibly complex productions – not just on the KCOH stage, but eve-

rywhere. They watched a complex puzzle coming together like a graceful ballet.

What they did NOT see are the endless hours of hard work, the incredibly creative problem

-solving, the many potential crises averted, the near-impossible logistical challenges, the

months of contractual push-and-pull, the negotiations between multiple stakeholders or the

other day-job demands happening here at the same time. They also did not see small acts

of kindness, like simply getting someone a bottle of water.

They just saw perfection. One prominent person coming out of the debate told me: “You

all made us proud to be Miamian, and to have the Arsht here!” I cannot say it any bet-

ter: I am ridiculously proud!!

Thank you, well done.

Proudly

Johann

6

VOLUTEER APPRECIATION

DINNER

2019—2020 SUBSCRIPTION SERIES

If you have enough tickets in your Year End

Balance, you can request a subscription to

the following series listed below. Simply fill

out the online ticket request form and in

the notes section be sure to indicate the day,

time and any special instructions. Please see

the chart for the number of tickets needed for

each series.

E-mail volunteers@arshtcenter.org if you

have any questions.

As the season winds down, it’s time to start thinking about the Annual Apprecia-

tion Dinner! It’s a Black and White Soiree!

If you volunteer for at least 72 hours this season (not including bonus hours), you

will receive an invite to the annual volunteer dinner.

If you are still short of your 72 hours, consider volunteering for AileyCamp final

performance, Camp Broadway and ArstLaunch. Also remember, any training you

take over the summer will count towards hours. You can retake the training as

many times as you would like.

2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018

1.Volunteers should

ALWAYS check in with

a Tier-Leader BEFORE

leaving for a break. This

is mostly for safety

reasons. If asked, a

tier-leader should be

able to find you at all

times.

2.If you get cold during

ushering (especially in

the CST) try layering!

You can wear a long

sleeve shirt under your

uniform to help keep

you warm. Be sure

patterns cannot be seen

through the white shirt

of the uniform.

Sweaters etc. cannot be

worn while ushering.

3.If seated in the theater

while ushering, please

remember not to

engage in conversation,

especially if you think

you are whispering. In

the last few months the

complaints of ushers

talking during the

performance has risen

from guest feedback /

comments

Thank you for your

cooperation!

7

ARTSLAUNCH 2019 ANNOUNCED

Mark your calendars and save the date! On September 7th, the Arsht Center will

be hosting its annual ArtsLaunch festivities. Not only will some individual tickets

go on sale for the upcoming season, but there will be all sorts of free activities

taking place including food tastings, Resident Company workshops, the Farmer’s

Market and much much more! Employees and volunteers alike will be working

together to make the event a huge success. There will be many volunteer opportu-

nities to help make this day run smoothly so be sure to sign up for this fun filled

day of events!

2019-2020 SEASON TICKET REQUESTS

Due to our new online ticket request process, we can accept ticket requests for the

2019-2020 season. Please be aware, however, that the request will not be processed

before October 1, 2019. The same rules apply. If a ticket is requested early, it cannot

be exchanged or refunded for any reason. Please keep this in mind for any ticket

requested way in advance.

In regards to Hamilton tickets, please note that any ticket requests for Hamilton that

were past the deadline mentioned on the ticket page will be first come first served and

are not guaranteed. Please see the online ticket page for more information regarding

Hamilton ticket requests.

1.Please oh please do not

leave open beverages in

the refrigerators. The

contents spill and then

usually it is a fellow

volunteer, not

housekeeping who has

to clean it up.

2.Please remember to

return your vests to the

racks prior to leaving

after your shift. We are

missing several vests

from when we started as

they are accidentally

going home. If you wait

to bring it back at your

next assignment, we are

still short that particular

vest.

3.If your vest becomes

soiled during your shift

or is missing a button,

please place them in the

white laundry baskets in

the clubhouse. We will

make sure the vests are

cleaned and button

sewn back on.

4.Please remember to

return your name tags to

the board (ZBOH) or

refrigerator (KCH) after

each shift. Some of the

nametags are shared

and we need to reuse

them. Lately, more and

more badges are going

home and we are having

to pay to replace them.

Thank you in advance

for your cooperation!

8

An Advisory Team Meeting took place on Monday, June 3 and July 1,

2019. Please see below agenda items that were discussed and the results:

Volunteer Season Outlook Meeting—

The team suggested that any potential changes for the upcoming season

should not be announced in the newsletter. They suggested that doing it

in a more personal informal manner may work better and allow for any

questions so people are better prepared on what to expect. Thus the new

Volunteer Season Outlook meeting has been scheduled in September.

Theater Improvements —

The team mentioned concerns about areas in the theater that need atten-

tion such as doors not working and mildew smells. They will be submit-

ted to the respective parties in hopes that it can be either fixed or re-

solved. Thank you for sharing your concerns!

Training—The advisory team had some really great suggestions for re-

fresher trainings over the summer. They have been discussed with the

FOH team and some adjustments are being made based upon their

suggestions.

Mid-Season Survey Feedback— Some results were shared with the

team. We plan on sharing more feedback with the entire team at the sea-

son outlook in September.

Our next meeting will take place on Monday, September 9, 2019. Please

e-mail us or be sure to notify your advisory team members with any

suggestions.

2018-2019 VOLUNTEER

ADVISORY TEAM NEWS

Pictured from Left to Right:

Judith Traum, Angela Chin-Tai, Ellie Stern, Bill McDonald, Ramon Suero,

Sondra Walsh, Betty Nessl-Brandow, Laura Mendoza (not pictured)

Carlton Ford, our beloved

Advancement Team

Member, is leaving the

Arsht Center for an amazing

opportunity. He will still be

in Miami and attending

shows. We wish him the

best of luck in his future

endeavors! Be sure to give

him a warm hello the next

time you see him in the

halls!

Congratulations and good

luck to Melissa Santiago!

She has taken an AMAZING

opportunity at the Kennedy

Center in D.C. Wishing her

the best of luck in her future

endeavors!

FAREWELL CARLTON

FAREWELL MELISSA

9

Mindy Solomon, the Upper Eastside gallery, nearby to the Shores, has a spacious exhi-

bition space to effectively showcase expressive, art with an impact. Just down the road

on NE Second Ave., there’s plenty of free parking. The Gallery’s open noon to five

Tuesday-Saturdays. A pioneer in 2015 migrating from Wynwood to Little River leading

the way for a burgeoning new arts enclave now proliferating with other galleries and

affordable studio spaces.

Mindy Solomon, the name sake and creative curator, is an educated, arts professional

and instructor.

Not instructing ‘how to’ create art, but how to appreciate it. She also makes the learning

fun. More about her later.

The Gallery’s exhibits include 2-dimensional paintings, sculptures and ceramics. She

encourages young, new collectors to start with the ceramics, and affordable and deco-

rative to their homes. As they discover their favored styles, mediums, colors and tex-

tures, additional collecting increases organically with their appreciation. Solomon’s gal-

lery includes ceramic pieces at an affordable $250 and she offers payment plans with

no interest encouraging the novice collector. The positioning of a painting juxtaposed w/

a ceramic piece creating an arts-conversation in a room is displayed in the space, as a

model for home display. Buying art you love makes your home a more pleasurable ex-

perience each and every day.

Mindy Solomon, both the Gallery and curator, represent 20 National and International

artists. They originate from Australia, New Zealand, Korea, California, Los Angeles,

New York, South Florida as well as other parts of the US. Solomon explains there is a

language of art communicating by visual interpretation as well as perspective and bal-

ance. (261). With a master’s Degree in fine arts, and psychology training Solomon vol-

unteers with art therapy classes for people with sensitive, emotional issues. Her volun-

teer work with the New World School of the Arts, encourages young, emerging artists as

she curates their show each year. She suggests this student exhibition is an excellent

way for enthusiastic new collectors to begin their journey with affordable and exciting

new talents’ works.

Beginning June through July, the gallery will feature a ceramics exclusive exhibit. Solo-

mon is the only representative you’ll meet at the gallery, explaining why she selected

each artist and how you can appreciate their works. The gallery, cooperating with five

others host a ‘Progressive brunch’ the last Sunday of every month. The locations span

both the Little River and Little Haiti arts collective.

Mindy Solomon Gallery, 8397 NE Second Ave., Little River, just about 10 minutes from

our neighborhoods with a free parking lot on the north side. Be prepared to be

WOWED! I was.

To call, 786)-953-6917. However, no appointments are necessary, drop by and meet

Mindy. She’ll introduce you to a wonderful world of Contemporary Art. (448)

- by Susan Ackley

CONTEMPORARY GALLERY ART MATTERS

Please remember

that the approved

uniform allows for

only one pin on

each shirt collar (even if you

own your vest).

You will see more new

ushers wearing this pin. Be

sure to welcome them and take

them under your wing!

If you need somewhere to

display your plethora of pins,

we are more than happy to

supply with you an Arsht

Volunteer hat to display your

badges of honor (while sup-

plies last) or you can put them

on your Arsht Volunteer tote if

you have one! Thank you for

your cooperation.

VOLUNTEER

PINS