Excited to share Cultivate's Volunteer of the Month Spotlight for March!
At Cultivate, we believe in celebrating the incredible individuals who dedicate their time, energy, and passion to enriching our community and advancing our mission. Volunteers are the backbone of our organization, bringing our programs to life and creating a vibrant, nurturing environment for all who walk through our doors.
To honor their invaluable contributions, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our "Volunteer of the Month" blog series.
Each month, we will spotlight one outstanding volunteer, sharing their stories, achievements, and the impact they've made on Cultivate and the broader Grand Rapids community. Through these stories, we hope to shine a light on the diverse talents and compassionate spirits that make Cultivate a place where art and community flourish together.
It’s our pleasure to spotlight May Southavilai (She/Her). May has been involved with us since last fall - supporting with exhibition openings, event support, and also attending many events and activities that we offer. May's kindness, ideas, and generosity have been an incredible gift to our community, and we are so grateful for her!
Please read her interview below -
Cultivate: What’s one of your favorite memories from volunteering with Cultivate?
May Southavilai: The recent student exhibition, I loved to see the students light up and admire their work in all its glory. Inviting their friends and family and in awe of how proud they were of the artists!
Cultivate: How do you practice or participate in art?
May Southavilai: I’m trying to get better at drawing but photography is my specialty. The process of film developing is so beautiful. It’s full of surprises you never know what will come of it after developing and that’s one of my favorite parts of it.
Cultivate: Are there any artists that have been inspiring you lately?
May Southavilai: PQHAUS work speaks to me in so many different ways. They do acrylic paintings based on mental health and generational trauma. The paintings make you take a double take to analyze it even more and I want my photos to be like that. Storytelling and mental health awareness based.
Please see and support May's art practice and work at her Instagram.