These articles were written as part of the volunteer newsletters at Descanso Gardens in 2020.
Volunteer Spotlight: Artist Ann S.
“Is this your first visit?” Ann S., a volunteer at the Sturt Haaga Gallery, loves to ask this question, and she’s met guests from all 50 states and every continent by asking it. At the gallery, she guides people through the art and explains how each show relates to the garden. “Some of the art can be pretty abstract,” she notes. She adds that art is always subjective; it’s not her role to interpret it for anyone else.
A few years ago, Ann created art that was inspired by Snowball, Descanso’s resident goose who lived at the gardens for over a dozen years. Her entry was chosen by Descanso’s judges to be displayed at the Unusual Views show along with other selected artwork by Descanso members.
After wrapping up a teaching career that spanned preschool to college and focused on English, drama, and art, she was drawn to volunteering at the gallery so that she could use her skills and knowledge in fun new ways. Being in the space and surrounded by ever-changing artwork has provided Ann with artistic inspiration, too. Many of her own sketches and paintings have come from snapshots she’s taken and observations she’s made at the gardens.
What she loves most about volunteering at Descanso Gardens is the opportunity to connect with people. “People come to the gardens happy. I don’t hear any complaints!” She misses the people who volunteer and work at Descanso and looks forward to returning to the gardens when it is safe to do so.
Volunteer Spotlight: Docent Elaine E.
“Of all the gardens, I love Descanso. It means quiet, tranquil, and you get that feeling here.”
Volunteer Elaine E. has been coming to Descanso Gardens since admission was free and she was busy raising her two daughters. She grew up in The Bronx, New York, but came to California when she and her husband decided to move to a warmer clime.
Years ago, she answered a newspaper ad to train to be a docent at Descanso Gardens. From there, she dove into studying the history of the Boddy House and Elias Manchester Boddy as well as how Descanso has changed and grown over the years. That’s her favorite thing to discuss with visitors. “You hit them with a little history, and they’re amazed,” she says. “They want to know more.”
In the past, she enjoyed watching Boddy House be turned into a Pasadena Showcase House. This allowed her to interact with the decorators and see how they styled each room. Now that the furnishings in the Boddy House have been changed, visitors can have a different experience there. “It’s more like an art and science lab now. Children and adults can do art projects and learn.” As a bonus, Elaine doesn’t have to ask anyone to stop playing the antique baby grand piano anymore, since it has been removed from the house.
Each guest sees the Boddy House through his or her own lens, and Elaine has fielded a lot of inquiries about renting out the house for special events. “Sometimes I feel like a wedding planner,” she adds, noting that brides and grooms who were married in the house tend to return year after year and revisit their happy memories.
“I love it. I miss it,” Elaine says about Boddy House as well as the employees, volunteers, and regulars she interacts with when she’s volunteering. She looks forward to returning to Boddy House—and remembering her spiel for the visitors she will greet—once it is safe to do so.
Word Nerd Media 