2021 Volunteers of the Year

It is with great gratitude that the Northfield Arts Guild announces our 2021 Volunteers of the Year!

The Guild is filled with AMAZING volunteers who contribute countless hours and give of their time and talent daily. We could not survive without this enormous investment. Each year we take the time to highlight a few of the key volunteers during the course of that year.

Please join me in acknowledging these amazing humans who are so generous with their skills, resources, time, and energy…
Susan Carlson
Susan recently concluded two terms – 6 years – on the Northfield Arts Guild Board of Directors. She has been engaged and committed to the wellbeing of the organization much longer than that however. Susan has directed numerous theatrical productions for the Guild, is knowledgeable and always ready to answer any question, and donates her time to most every project the Guild has going — from coming out to clean up the landscaping at the Theater, arriving at 6:00am to help with the Riverfront Fine Arts Fest, to serving on the Governance Committee, to helping to plan the board retreat. Susan also gave of her time this year as we implemented our search for our new Performing Arts manager. Susan reviewed applications and helped conduct our interview process. Susan brings spirit, ingenuity, and passion to everything she does and she gives of her time and talent generously and regularly. We are pleased to recognize Susan as one of our Volunteers of the Year.
Fred Gustafson
In this past year, Fred has been an indispensable part of keeping our ceramics studio running smoothly. He has worked to mix our glazes, work with reclaimed clay, and has been a task master when it comes to maintaining a firing schedule, coming and going regularly throughout the pandemic – week after week – to keep finished work steadily available to students and Open Studio participants working at home or, more recently, in our building. He has many times taken on the task of driving to Continental Clay in St. Paul to pick up huge clay orders and deliver them back to the Guild, and has offered great advice and teaching to those of us who are newer to the many processes involved in running a successful clay studio. We are so pleased to honor Fred as one of our Volunteers of the year.
Greg Muth
Greg has spent countless hours this year making sweeping improvements to the Guild Theater facility – laying carpet, flooring, countertops, lighting, and more. We are so grateful as these are things that not just anyone can do AND the theater would not survive or remain functional without this kind of commitment to facility improvements. Greg keeps our theater humming and looking great always. Greg also serves on the Theater Committee and is dedicated to the success of the Guild Theater – from suggesting viable theatrical works, to community engagement with our theater, to suggesting new ways to create enthusiasm with fresh ideas. From work backstage and onstage to maintenance of the building, Greg is consistently contributing his skills, times, and resources to the betterment of the Guild Theater and as such we are thrilled to honor Greg as one of our Volunteers of the year.
Katherine Norrie
Katherine Norrie is an invaluable member of the Gallery Committee. From volunteering in the Guild’s info tent at the Riverfront Fine Arts Festival to patching and painting the gallery walls between exhibitions, Katherine is always ready to help. As a high school art teacher, she nurtures and inspires the next generation of artists and for years she has helped coordinate our annual Northfield Area All-School Art Show as well as the Northfield High School Honors Art Show. Her efforts connect young artists to the wider art community and gives them a place to shine. Katherine was also instrumental and volunteered her time on the search effort for our new Visual Arts manager by reviewing applications and serving on the interview team. Her perspective and viewpoints were impactful to our final decisions and we are grateful for that investment of time and energy. Katherine is a complete champion for the Guild in general and gives generously of her time and practical wisdom and we are grateful and pleased to honor her as a Volunteer of the year.