The Goldbergs, Marvin and Joan, are familiar faces in the Philly arts and culture scene. In addition to their active volunteer work with Live Arts, they also share their time with the City Hall Visitor’s Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Kimmel Center. And that’s just a sample of their volunteer efforts!

Married for 52 years with two children and four grandchildren, the couple has lived in the Philadelphia area their entire lives. They moved into Center City 13 years ago, and have volunteered with the Festival since 1999. I talked to Marvin about their volunteer experiences with the Festival and around the city.

Why did you start volunteering for the arts in Philly?
We always enjoyed music, museums, and the arts and learned about opportunities to volunteer shortly after moving into town. I started at the Philadelphia Museum of Art about 15 years ago as a membership volunteer and am still there.

Why do you keep coming back as a volunteer?
Meeting new and interesting people, both volunteers and patrons, seeing some unusual performances, and we like to support the arts around town.

What has been your most “Fringe” moment?
One of the more unique Fringe events was attending the 2003 wedding of Peter Price and Megan Bridge at the Painted Bride. They actually were married there as a Fringe show called The Wedding
.

What motivates you to keep being such active volunteers?
There are so many opportunities to help out the non-profits that anyone can stay active seven days and seven nights a week. Besides meeting so many interesting and nice people, these non-profits really need help. [And] we love the arts in Philadelphia.

–Karina Kacala