Our Purpose
The Heard Museum Guild supports the
mission and goals of the Heard Museum through volunteerism in:
- Education
- Support of American Indian artists and their
communities
- Enhancement of the visitor experience
- Public outreach
- Fund-raising.
Our
Members
Coming from diverse work, education,
cultural, and geographical backgrounds, our members are passionate about the
Heard Museum and are dedicated to life-long learning about the arts, heritage,
and life ways of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Guild volunteers are an integral
part of the daily life of the Museum. Whether contributing time to a single
event or “living” at the Museum pursuing multiple projects and assignments, our
members are actively engaged throughout the Museum campus. Many opt to apply
their existing skills and talents to the needs of the Guild and Museum, while
others choose to explore new avenues. For example, while speaking with a Shop
volunteer, you may discover that he or she is a software programmer and had
never sold a thing in their life before working in the Heard Shop!
Being a Guild volunteer is not all
work! Our varied calendar of events and programs, offers our members
opportunities to learn and share while enjoying abiding friendships. Ask any
Guild member and they will happily tell you about the fun, challenges, and
rewards of volunteering at the Heard. We hope you will join us!
Our
Impact
Collectively, our 450 Guild members
contributed a record 67,283 volunteer hours during the 2013-14 year!!
Additionally, our fundraising efforts provided $130,000 to support Museum
operations and activities.
Our
History
In 1956, 30 women formed an
Auxiliary to the Heard Museum with the goals of supporting the mission of the
Museum, providing financial assistance, and conducting guided tours of the
Museum’s collection. Founding President Helen Shackelford said of the role of
Heard Guild volunteers: “Much needed doing, and we did it.”
The Guild grew exponentially in its
first years, adding many new members, projects, and responsibilities.
Volunteers opened a Gift Shop in 1958 “pledging to sell only the good, the
authentic.” Also in that year, the first Indian Fair was held, and in 1968 the
Heard Guild Arts & Crafts Exhibit was created as a juried competition.
These two events were the basis of the current Indian Fair & Market, the
Guild’s main fund-raising event. Men, including Senator Barry Goldwater, joined
the Guild in 1972. Over the years, programs including Speakers Bureau,
Information Desk, Student Art Sale, Library Book Sale, Scholarships and Grants,
Trips, Lecture Series, and more were conceived, planned, and implemented by the
vast talents of Guild volunteers.
Now almost 60 years old, the Guild
continues its original goals of supporting the mission and programs of Heard
Museum.
Our
Organization
The Heard Museum Guild is structured
under the umbrella of the Heard Museum. It is governed by its own Bylaws and
Policies as well as the Bylaws and Policies of the Heard Museum. The Museum is
a 501(c) 3 charitable organization incorporated in the State of Arizona.
The Guild is managed by a Board of
Directors, which works closely with Museum leadership to develop, organize, and
promote all volunteer programs and activities. Monthly Guild meetings provide
members the opportunity to learn about the Guild and to provide feedback and
input into Guild operations.
