Ambassadors Committee

Arts Ambassadors provide hospitality services to artists.

Estimated time commitment: approx. 9 hours
Throughout the year:  3-5 hours in April and July
During Festival weekend: 4 – 5 hours

Desired traits: supervision and task management skills, enthusiasm, organization skills, ability to carry drink thermos, cups, and drink condiments, drive golf cart (must have valid drivers license)

Committee members have the opportunity to:

• Directs hospitality operations for the Art Show and Art Demo area
• Participate in a phone bank in April to recruit shift volunteers
• The committee sets up and organizes the Ambassadors’ work yard for daily operations
• The team orients, assigns, and supervises shifts of two-hour volunteers while maintaining a safe and organized shaded work area and ice machine
• Each Committee member works one four to five-hour supervisory shift on-site
• Committee leaders must have a working knowledge of Festival grounds and its many components and a desire to involve others in the inner workings of Festival operations
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event

Art Patron & Art Show East Committee  

Committee members plan and execute the art patron program, which includes unique social events within the festival. Thursday night Premiere party, an early shopping event & breakfast, and provide assistance and hospitality to approximately 70 artists

Estimated time commitment: approx. 16 hours
Throughout the year: 2-4 hours
During Festival weekend: 12 hours

Desired traits: An interest in the visual arts & hospitality, enthusiasm, attentive, detail-oriented with good supervision and task management skills, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs, and a willingness to work outdoors, accommodations can be made as needed.

Committee members have the opportunity to:

• Support Volunteer recruitment
• Provide administrative support to the Visual Arts Coordinator for the planning and administration of:
  • Thursday night Premiere Party
  • Friday Morning Patron breakfast & early shopping
  • Hospitality services throughout the weekend
  • Host Artists’ continental breakfast Sunday morning
• Build one-on-one relationships with visual artists
• Promote and facilitate the Festival Art Patron program
• Identify Prospective donors
• Assist with admin duties, marketing, and promotion
• Support artists’ orientation and packet distribution during the arrival
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event

Art Show West Committee

Committee members provide assistance and hospitality to approximately 50 artists.         

Estimated time commitment: approx. 12 hours
Throughout the year:  N/A
During Festival weekend: 9-12 hours

Desired traits: enthusiasm, attentive, detail-oriented with good supervision and task management skills, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs, accommodations can be made as needed

Committee members have the opportunity to:

• Provide administrative support to the Visual Arts Coordinator for the administration of the Craft Show
• Perform on-site administrative duties
• Hand out check-in packets upon artists’ arrival
• Answer questions and meet needs beyond hospitality services
• Provide hospitality to West Side Artists throughout the show.
• Drink and booth-sitting support if needed
• Host Artist’s Continental Breakfast on Sunday morning
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event

Artyopolis Committee

Artyopolis provides a place for children to be creative and interact with art in a variety of ways. Volunteers are needed to help refill supplies, assist children with craft projects, and supervising free games. No experience in art-making is required, only a passion for making the Smoky Hill River Festival enjoyable for all ages!

Estimated time commitment: approx. 15 hours
Throughout the year:  2-3 hours
During Festival weekend: 9-12 hours total Friday – Sunday.

Desired traits: enjoy working with children, planning activities

Committee members have the opportunity to:

• Assists the Artyopolis Coordinator with the pre-festival selection of art activities for Creation Crossing and volunteer recruitment.
• During the Festival, each committee member serves nine to twelve (9-12) hours over the Festival weekend. They are responsible for volunteer coordination, check-in, workstation assignment, providing drinks, answering questions, and refilling supplies as needed.
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event

Art Demonstration Committee

Committee members provide assistance and hospitality to demonstration artists.

Estimated Time Commitment: approx. 15 hours
Throughout the year: 1-3 hours pre-festival planning and volunteer recruitment
During Festival weekend: 12-16 hours

Desired traits: Confident working enthusiasm, attentive, detail-oriented with good supervision and task management skills, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs, accommodations can be made as needed

Committee members have the opportunity to:

• Provide administrative support to the Visual Arts Coordinator for the pre-festival planning and volunteer recruitment.
• Perform on-site administrative duties, including cash handling/exchange for the “Tiny Art Vending Machine” and artists’  
• Distribute check-in packets and upon artists’ arrival
• Answer questions for both artists and the general festival audience
• Answer questions for both artists and the general festival audience
• Provide simple logistics and tech support to the demonstrating artists
• Provide hospitality to craft demonstration artists throughout the show from load-in to load-out.
• Drink and booth-sitting support
• Distribute snack bags
• Host artist’s continental breakfast on Sunday
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event

Art Installation Committee

Committee members provide hospitality and assistance to installation artists. Work is primarily physical, and takes place pre- & post-festival hours with some optional hospitality check-ins with artist throughout the weekend.

Estimated Time Commitment: approx. 14-17 hours
Throughout the year: 1-2 hours April/May
During Festival weekend: 10-15 hours

Desired traits: problem-solving skills to support unique challenges during art installation, typically guided directly by the artist. Ability to drive a golf cart, lift up to 50 lbs, operate most hand tools and some power tools, may require work on ladders.

Committee members have the opportunity to:

• Connect with artists one-on-one
• Install large artwork at most pedestrian bridges in addition to various locations throughout the festival grounds.
• Offer hospitality services throughout the weekend. Provide water and breaks to artists (as needed)
• Support smooth and timely de-installation on Sunday at the close of the festival
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event

Entertainment Programming Committee

Committee reviews entertainment options for the Festival’s three live stages and roving performers. They assist and review selected performers at the Festival and report back to the coordinator.

Estimated time commitment: approx. 22 hours
Throughout the year:  10-12 hours
During Festival weekend: 10 hours

Desired traits: social and cultural awareness and attention to entertainment that is representative of the community’s interest.

Committee members have the opportunity to:

• Work closely with Festival staff to review and identify available musicians/acts for the Festival and make recommendations about placement (headline, multi-stage, Sunday, etc.).
• Recommend options representative of the community’s artistic and cultural interests.
• Review electronic press kits, videos, and other methods of artist representation in the review of potential Festival entertainment.
• Onsite: evaluate the artists’ effectiveness in reaching the Festival audience.
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event

Entertainment Hospitality Committee

Committee provides support in helping performers onsite during the weekend.  They assist in the artist lounge greenroom, transporting artists through ground transportation, and helping organize hospitality areas in collaboration with the coordinator.

Estimated time commitment: 10 – 13 hours
Throughout the year:  1.5-3 hours
During Festival weekend: 7-10 hours

Desired traits: enthusiasm, attentive, detail-oriented with good supervision and task management skills, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs, accommodations can be made as needed.

Committee members have the opportunity to:

• The committee sets up and organizes performer greenrooms
• Supervises hospitality spaces during the event and supports with performer questions
• Support in hospitality restocking and deliveries on grounds using golf cart
• Drive performers needing ground transportation support
• Assist coordinator with preparation and organization of hospitality items during week prior to Festival
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event

Food Committee

Food committee members select food vendor options for the Festival. They assist onsite vendors, review performance/product, and report to the coordinator.

Estimated time commitment: approx. 20 – 27 hours
Throughout the year:  5-7 hours
During Festival weekend: 3-4 hours per day, starting Wednesday

Desired traits: love of food, good communication skills, a people person, a fast thinker for problem-solving

Committee Members have the opportunity to:

• Serve for an indefinite time at their choosing. The commitment is for a year at a time.
• helping to define the application process with their first meeting in October/November
• jury applications in March; this is done by referring to the previous year’s Food Quality Reports and identifying the Festival menu
• Meet in May to coordinate their schedules and other onsite details
• On Wednesday before the Festival, help the food vendors set up
• At the event, they liaise between the food vendors, food inspectors, attendees, and staff
• Do quality reports on each food vendor
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event

Hospitality Committee

Hospitality provides a place for artists, vendors, and entertainers to relax in an air-conditioned trailer with snacks and drinks. It also serves as the Festival Headquarters for staff and volunteers.

Estimated time commitment: approx. 12 hours
Throughout the year:  3-6 hours
During Festival weekend: 3-6 hours

Desired traits: enthusiasm, good listening and communication skills, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs; accommodations can be made as needed

Committee members have the opportunity to:

• Recruit and staff the hospitality trailer for four days (3-hour shifts)
• Run errands or purchases throughout the Festival (as needed)
• Train new volunteers
• Fill in three-hour shifts for the volunteer schedule as needed (setup/teardown and any other slots not filled)
• Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event