GMD is lucky not only to have great supporters, but talented and engaged volunteers. Linda Webster has been a GMD volunteer since 2009, but was familiar with us before then. Webster was a frequent visitor of GMD in the past; "I found the exhibits really intriguing, and something you didn't see in depth at other museums." When she first began as a GMD volunteer, she worked with staff to develop and implement new practices for the GMD membership program.

Webster is now working on the Preserving Costume through Re-housing project (supported by a grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services), and was trained by GMD staff to work with shoe preservation. Volunteers working with shoes must assemble carrying cases, affix tracking labels, and prepare items for storage with various museum quality materials to preserve the shape of the shoe. Webster finds the shoe designs "are always so intriguing. The colors, the design, the workmanship, the different eras... sometimes I have déjà vu, because they look like something I have worn!"

With an undergraduate degree in Art and Business (Western Michigan University) and Masters in Public Policy Planning (University of Arizona), Webster has been able to use many of her talents while volunteering with GMD. Webster is also an artist; she recently returned to her interest in watercolor painting, and she attends the monthly seminars at Phipps Center for Arts, where she has exhibited work. When asked what keeps her coming back to GMD, Webster replied; "The staff is friendly and supportive, and it is fun to get a peek at what they are doing."

We are grateful to have talented and versatile volunteers who enjoy supporting design. You too can support design by applying to be a GMD volunteer. You can also make a tax-deductible donation to help GMD produce high quality programs, support collection preservation, and educate the public through object-based learning.

By Jenny Parker: Goldstein Museum of Design Graduate Assistant, MFA candidate in Graphic Design and Museum Studies