Volunteers at Gualala Arts
Helen Klembeck
When asked what prompted her to assume the management position for the Dolphin Gallery and Shop, Helen Klembeck stated matter-of-factly, "I just jumped into the void." That unassuming response captures her commitment to Gualala Arts and reflects the attitude of the numerous volunteers that makes our community special.
What she left unsaid was the countless hours she has spent assisted by her husband Frank in renovating the gallery room and display space, installing new cases and lighting, and cleaning out many years of clutter.
In addition, Helen has organized the schedule for the 29, soon to be 30, current volunteers and involved them in the decision making process. Her "Adopt-a Spot" program invites each volunteer to give special care to a certain area in the shop.
The result is a fresh open look with an inventory that is constantly being updated and revised so the consignment items for sale from about 100 artists meet the needs of the many visitors from around the globe who visit the convenient downtown location.
Helen's success is the result of a long active career where she honed many of the talents so evident in her current position. Working for the federal government as a logistician/program manager, she needed organizational skills to insure that the right items reached the right place at the right time in the right quantity.
Next, she acquired retail skills and understanding of customer relations when she took a small printing business and built it into a larger operation with three locations. Speaking of herself, she said, "My boss worked me too hard" so she sold that business and worked in Human Relations for the City of Sacramento before moving full time to her home overlooking Bourns Landing in 1999.
A native of Minnesota, Helen moved west and settled in the Bay Area while still a child. She attended San Jose State where she studied music. That interest continued in unusual ways. In addition to her busy work schedule, she was vocalist for a band led by George Liberace, brother of the slightly better known pianist and entertainer, Walter Valentino Liberace.
She played many venues including San Francisco and Reno hotels, the Claremont in Berkeley, and annual gigs at the Rio Nido Lodge. She once performed for sixteen days at Harvey's Top of the Wheel in Tahoe with Liberace in the audience for opening night.
She still enjoys playing the piano, but has also taken up painting in oils, usually seascapes that concentrate on shades of color and movement of water or on solitary objects. She is also addicted to logic puzzles like Sudoku or the old "clue-type" puzzles.
Helen, who has just been elected to the Board of Directors, started volunteering for Gualala Arts in 1999 both at the Dolphin and Art in the Redwoods and has been Gallery Coordinator since 2001. She loves the "chummy" atmosphere where visitors can chat while browsing and encourages new arrivals to get involved. She says, "Volunteering is a great way to know the community, make new friends, and feel good about making a contribution."
This is the second in a series of articles on
Volunteers at Gualala Arts.
