Volunteer Spotlight
When we asked volunteer Viviane Hotz what her pirate name would be, she said Viviane the Fearsome Pirate. We think she’s more friendly than she is fearsome. Over the twenty years Viviane has been a volunteer, she has certainly been a good friend of the VMM. She is fearsomely accomplished, though.
Viviane believes you can learn something new every day, and she lives up to her belief. She got her pilot’s licence when she turned 50, for example. Viviane is a retired architect and a very talented potter. A member of the Aberthau Potters Club, she has donated her pottery to VMM silent auctions many times. Her pottery is always among the more popular items in the auctions. She also likes to organize for efficiency, throw dinner parties and spend time with her grandkids, who are, she says, “the cutest and funnest.”
When asked why she likes to volunteer at the VMM, Viviane says “it’s great fun!” Though her life long love of museums may have also been a motivator. Vivian visits museums all over the world. “Tiny museums in the Interior, giant museums in Europe, New York…”
At the VMM Viviane volunteers as a docent, helping with school programs. Docents tell the students stories and guide them through activities. Viviane says that “turning the lights on in children’s brains [and] making them curious” is her favourite part of volunteering for the VMM. We are guessing she gets to see kids’ brains ignite often, because she brings a lively energy to school programs.
Viviane particularly likes talking to young people about Arctic explorers and the St. Roch. She says she enjoys talking about the exchange of ideas between the Inuit and the explorers.
We couldn’t be happier that Viviane chose to give her time to the Vancouver Maritime Museum. And we hope she keeps finding it fun for many years to come.
To learn more about our volunteer program, visit the volunteer page.