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Volunteers make the Kimball Art Festival possible

Next to the Sundance Film Festival, the Park City Kimball Art Center is the largest single event in Park City, said KAC executive director Robin Marrouche.

"The art festival is our main fundraiser for the year and it allows the Kimball Art Center to have free admission throughout the year, and to keep those excellent exhibitions coming," Marrouche told The Park Record.

The festival also brings revenue into Park City.

"Last year, the festival brought in 55,000 people to (Park City) which, in turn, had an $18.2 million impact on the town," Marrouche said.

This year, the festival, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, will feature 220 artists set up in kiosks up and down Main Street.

To help things run smoothly, the KAC is looking for volunteers to work four-hour shifts during those days.

Marrouche said the festival needs at least 350 people to help, but would love to have 600.

"We would not be able to put the festival on without the help," she said. "We calculated that it would cost us $50,000 in labor to staff all the work the volunteers do."

The festival needs people at the entry gate to collect the money and to help the public by giving directions, as well as working in the children’s area.

"There will be a number of activities for children that include face painting and running the scavenger hunts," Marrouche said. "Volunteers can choose which ones they want to do."

Also, the artists themselves will need some help.

"People can be a booth sitter, or they can bring water and lunch to the artists throughout the event, which is something the Park City Professional Artists Association helps with, too," Marrouche said. "These artists will be sitting there all day and I’m sure would appreciate some help when they need to take a break."

Marrouche said there really is no age limit for volunteers as long as they aren’t working in the concessions area.

"We’ve had kids who are six years old who volunteer with their parents, and any volunteer who is younger than 12 needs to have a parent with them, but anyone older than 12 can sign up," she said. "That way a family can volunteer together."

The people who volunteer in the concessions area need to be 21 or older, because they will be handling beer and wine.

Also, those volunteers will need to be TIPS trained. TIPS is an acronym for Training for Intervention Procedures. A certified TIPS training session will be held at the Kimball Art Center, 638 Park Ave., on Wednesday, July 25, from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

"Once the session is done, those who weren’t previously certified to serve wine or beer will be able to do so," Marrouche said. "Also, the certification is valid for three years. We paid for the training and we will certify them. So people who want get that training can come and get it."

Although the volunteers will donate their time, the festival staff will show its appreciation with a party at the KAC on Thursday, July 26, at 6 p.m., and will set up a volunteer lounge during the festival.

"At the party, we will give everyone a quick rundown about what to expect at the festival, and then we will serve food and refreshments, wine and beer," Marrouche said. "The lounge will be located at 692 Main Street, out of the sun, during the festival, where everyone will be given lunch, refreshments, a T-shirt, weekend passes to the festival, a gift bag and our undying appreciation.

"Seriously, the Park City Kimball Art Festival would not happen if it weren’t for community volunteers," she said. "We can’t put a price on that."

To volunteer for the Park City Kimball Art Center, visit http://www.parkcitykimballartsfestival.org/volunteer or call volunteer coordinator Travis English at (435) 649-8882.

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