Volunteer Spotlight is a series where we shine a light on one of our awesome volunteers each month. Spotlights highlight the personalities of our volunteers and share more about their connections to the Frye.
This month, we are spotlighting Marion, one of our amazing Gallery Guide volunteers. We interviewed Marion to learn more about her and her time at the Frye.
Hi Marion! How long have you been a Gallery Guide at the Frye and what made you want to volunteer?
I've been at the Frye 9 years (I think). When I retired from teaching, I wanted to fuse my passion for art with my desire to continue working with children, and voila! I jumped at the opportunity to become a guide at the Frye.
What pieces, artists, programs, or exhibitions do you remember most fondly from your experiences at the Frye?
Although the Frye Founding Collection provides visiting school groups with an ever-present wonderful introductory springboard into looking at art, I remember many exhibitions that the Frye has showcased over the years for their ability to enrich and expand meaningful discussion and reflection in young viewers. From Pan Gongkai's large ink paintings, to Tschabalala Self's multi-layered characters made from scraps, Jim Woodring's bizarre hallucinatory visions, and Issac Layman's mysterious photographs of objects found at home—the list goes on! I have enjoyed working with kids to discover what's going on in these artworks and how it relates to them.
Have there been any notable responses from the kids you’ve worked with to a work of art displayed at the Frye?
I wish I could remember some specific responses from kids, but I can’t. What I can say is that kids approach art with an honesty that is refreshing to me, whether they are sketching, writing a short descriptive poem, creating a dramatic tableau, or moving in response to an artwork. They are storytellers by nature, and they love to imagine what happened before and what might happen next. Kids have the remarkable ability to step into a painting and become immersed in that world with all its sights, sounds, smells, and feelings. I learn how to look at art without preconceived ideas and with fresh eyes every time I tour with a group of kids.
Who are your favorite artists and why?
Honestly, I have so many artists whose work I love, it would be impossible for me to choose one or two. But I will share my new favorite artist of the moment with you! Since the pandemic started, and while the Frye Art Museum was closed, a handful of gallery guides (including myself) have been meeting twice a month as a virtual art club to look at and discuss artwork that will be exhibited at the Frye this summer, specifically work that will be in the upcoming show, Black Refractions: Highlights from The Studio Museum in Harlem. After George Floyd’s killing, we wanted to do our part to address systemic racism. I recognized that although I am educated in art history, artists of color had been largely glossed over or omitted from my courses and books. So the unofficial “Frye Art Club” decided to begin to learn. My new favorite artist of the moment is Titus Kaphar. I really like the way much of his work asks us to reconsider and reconfigure art history to include the African American experience. You might be familiar with his work as he was asked to create the cover for TIME magazine’s June 15, 2020 issue in response to George Floyd’s death. Mr. Kaphar has founded NXTHVN, an intergenerational art mentorship model to empower and support emerging artists of color.
Besides volunteering at the Frye, what do you like to do?
I also serve as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) through the King County Superior Court to advocate for the best interests of children in the foster care system. When we are not in the midst of a pandemic, I tutor kids for whom English is a second language after school, helping them with their homework. When I'm not volunteering, I love to be outdoors, walking, hiking, kayaking, biking. I enjoy theater and music and spending time with my family, especially my new granddaughter!
How have you been spending your time in the wake of COVID-19?
I have used this quiet Covid time to work on my French language skills. I am a determined French student and love the challenge!
What are some of your favorite things to do in Seattle?
My husband and I like to explore Seattle's different neighborhoods on foot—we discover so much more that way. And of course, we spend lots of time in boats, sailing, motoring, and kayaking. I am a huge fan of Seattle theater and look forward to seeing a great play in person again when the threat of coronavirus is no longer with us.
Can you share a favorite memory from one of your neighborhood walks?
During the pandemic getting outside has become so essential for my emotional health. Sometimes the most memorable walks can be closer to home. We didn’t expect that a control area for flood/storm water would become an oasis, but this little “pond” near our house brought the whole neighborhood together when we discovered a Great Blue Heron rookery there. It was fun to watch the birds on their giant nests high in the trees and it was a great way to connect safely with neighbors. We’re hoping the herons will return for nesting season again in 2021!
Read more from Marion, who recently authored a Collection Connection on the Frye From Home blog!
Anatol San Jose Steck
Development Coordinator