MEMBERSHIP

SEATTLE, WA: Abbey Arts volunteer Amy Coffman talks with PR/Marketing Assistant Stephon Dorsey about the intersectionalities of arts and volunteering. [Interview by Stephon Dorsey. Published 8/24/2016]

“Artists need volunteers to support them and help make their art accessible to others…”

Amy Coffman (AC): I think both arts and volunteering are community experiences. Both are designed to bring people together–to share life and learn one another’s passions and stories. I also think both can be beautifully dependent on each other. Artists need volunteers to support them and help make their art accessible to others–whether through marketing, preparing the space, or mixing sound. Volunteers also need artists. Without an artist to support, people might not experience the joy of service in this way. Because of artists, volunteers get space to grow in their own gifts of organization or hospitality or technical skill. Everyone is creative in different ways, and volunteering well is an art in and of itself.

Stephon Dorsey (SD): Why did you begin volunteering at the Abbey?

AC: I started volunteering because I was looking for a way to get to know people in my neighborhood. Being a musician myself, connecting with other music lovers seemed like a perfect fit!

SD: Can you describe your experience as a volunteer at The Abbey?

AC: I’ve really enjoyed volunteering at the Abbey over the past 2 years. I’ve gotten to meet a wide variety of people, discovered new bands, heard amazing stories at the Moth, learned to mix a few cocktails, stacked lots of chairs, mastered the dishwasher, and gotten to stamp people as “accepted.” It’s kind of fun to learn all the secret nooks and crannies in places like the Abbey, Ballard Homestead, St. Marks, and even Hilliard’s Brewery.

For more information on volunteering at Abbey Arts, please visit www.fremontabbey.org/volunteer

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