VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Everson Museum of Art celebrates its 40th year
Isabella Galan: The Everson Museum of Art plays host to many performances for the holiday season, but a few steps outside of the auditorium is where you will find the true winter wonderland. For the last 40 years, the Everson has held the Festival of Trees and Light, and for one volunteer, she has seen it grow almost since the beginning.
Cathy Winger: When I retired I have always been interested in the arts and the Everson, which I have been coming to forever. So I just jumped on and began volunteering since 2005 I would say.
Galan: The festival has since then grown, with this year’s 40th annual festival offering more performances and trees donated by the community than ever before.
Winger: It really brings in a lot of people to see all of the beautiful displays the people in the community do contribute.
Galan: But the Festival of Trees and Light is not only to look at the beautiful trees. Guests can come and also purchase them, as this is one of the biggest fundraisers for the museum.
Kaziah Searles: One of our biggest terms we’ve used throughout this year, is finding a way to demystify the art experience, and make our art accessible for everyone. And so a big piece of what we do when it comes to fundraising for the Festival of Trees and Light is being able to raise funds so we can do stuff that is impactful for the community.
Galan: So they can keep providing special art experiences all year round.
Searles: Really when we talk about what the Everson stands for, it’s for community, we do a lot of outreach, and a lot of what we do here, when it comes to the fundraising is to support the programs that we have, the outreach that we do, and the way we engage with the community.
Galan: Isabella Galan, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The Everson Museum of Art plays host to many performances for the holiday season, but a few steps outside of the Hosmer Auditorium auditorium is where you will find the true winter wonderland. For the last 40 years, the Everson has held the Festival of Trees and Light, where a variety of fully decorated trees and wreaths are on display.
While the Festival of Trees and Light brings in new vistors each year, some volunteers have been helping out since the beginning. One of those volunteers is Cathy Winger.
“When I retired I have always been interested in the arts and the everson, which I have been coming to forever. So I just jumped on and began volunteering since 2005,” she said.
The festival has since then grown, with this year’s 40th annual festival offering more performances and trees donated by the community than ever before.
“It really brings in a lot of people to see all of the beautiful displays the people in the community do contribute,” Winger said.
Guests can come and also purchase the trees and wreaths that are on display, as this is one of the biggest fundraisers for the museum. For the new Director of Marketing and Communications Kaziah Searles, who joined the team this past July, she said planning this event was one of the first things she was tasked to do when she joined the team.
“One of our biggest terms we’ve used throughout this year, is finding a way to demystify the art experience, and make our art accessible for everyone. A big piece of what we do when it comes to fundraising for the Festival of Trees and Light is being able to raise funds so we can do stuff that is impactful for the community,” Searles said.
With the money they raise through this festival, it allows the Everson to continue providing special art experiences and programs all year round.
“Really when we talk about what the Everson stands for, it’s for community, we do a lot of outreach, and a lot of what we do here, when it comes to the fundraising is to support the programs that we have, the outreach that we do, and the way we engage with the community,” she said.
The Festival of Trees and Light will be at the Everson until Dec. 13. Tickets can be found on the official website for the Everson Museum of Art or in person. General tickets are $17, $10 for an Everson member and $5 for children under the age of 12. Children under the age of 3 are free.