At Walton Arts Center, we truly depend on our volunteers on a daily basis – but especially on show days! They greet you when you walk in the door, help you get your ticket at Will Call, scan your ticket when you go into the theater and help you find your seat. But that’s not all… they assist with educational programs, special events and assist with administrative tasks. We have a dedicated corps of volunteers that are involved in every aspect of the theater, providing thousands of hours of service each year.
The show couldn’t go on without our volunteers. From all the staff at Walton Arts Center, THANK YOU to each and every volunteer.
During April, Volunteer Appreciation Month, we will be highlighting a few of the amazing people who help make up our outstanding team of volunteers.
For Leslie Redmon, local social media guru and mom, volunteering is the best way to see new shows, and to experience what she calls “the perks,” including complimentary tickets and social opportunities.
Redmon started volunteering in 2022, though she has been coming to see shows here since she was in middle school. Her first Broadway show as a volunteer was Fiddler on the Roof, a show which she has loved since high school. “It was amazing to be in the presence of the amazing cast and crew of a show I already knew,” she said. As a lifelong patron, she loved the atmosphere at Walton Arts Center and knew she wanted to be a part of it. Redmon gets to use her natural people skills to greet patrons and make sure their entire experience is memorable.
One time, ahead of a shift, Redmon was getting some sushi across the street and started chatting with a cast-member from Bluey’s Big Show. “It was nice to interact with someone from the show and to let them know that we appreciated what they were doing here,” Redmon said. “Especially in what feels like such a small town, volunteering lets you meet so many different people.” She didn’t watch “Bluey” with her kids before meeting the cast member and volunteering during the run – now it is regularly on the TV in their home.
About volunteering, Redmon says, “Jump in and do it! Sometimes it can be intimidating as a younger person to start something new, but the other volunteers and staff are so welcoming and are so helpful,” she said. “Volunteering is easy, it’s typically during nights, so I can easily do it while my kids are already in bed!”
Alongside being a mother and a volunteer, Redmon loves to take pottery classes, garden and make videos that go “kinda-viral” on social media. Redmon was a twirler in the band at the University of Arkansas, performing for 80,000 people regularly during football games. She got into theater later in life, but love of the arts runs in her family – her uncle is the saxophone player in Earth, Wind & Fire and author of Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love,” for which he won a Grammy®. Seeing her uncle play at the Walmart AMP was one of her first dates with her now husband.
The complimentary ticket program, volunteer appreciation night, trivia nights and other social gatherings are just a few “the perks” of volunteering at Walton Arts Center. There is also an incredible sense of community that is established inside and outside of the performance hall, and you can be a part of it! If you are looking to make new friends in a fun, creative environment and to support the arts in your local community, volunteering at Walton Arts Center is a great way to get involved. For more information, please visit waltonartscenter.org/volunteer.
