New Docents

I am sure you are all aware that Eileen Blackman and I have been spending our Spring training new docents to add to out ranks.  We had a class of 12 of the nicest people you could hope to find.  The actual training classes are over and we are now busy doing cert and shadow tours to get them on the schedule as soon as we can.  At this point I would like to announce that Don Wesley, Lynette Domanski and Brenda Mendola have completed that process and are now fully certed docents. (You may already know Lynette as she has been a chaperone with us for some time, finally got her trained to do tours)  Please welcome them as part of our family when you see them at the site.

And thank you to all of you who have shared your time and skills with our trainees when they have shadowed your tours.  We have several more new docents to add by the end of the week as several have completed their cert tours successfully, but still need to be shadowed on their first tours.  We will let you know as soon as they are fully completed.


George Struebel, Docent Co-Coordinator

Graycliff Spring Clean Up--and Season Has Started!

A BIG thank you to the many volunteers who braved the inclement weather on Saturday for  Spring Clean Up. 

 The house is much, much cleaner after the long winter, thanks to stalwart Graycliff Volunteers. 

 And just in time for the tour season, which starts today (and with a sold out tour this afternoon.)  

Welcome, returning volunteers, new volunteers, and docents-in-training, too.   (Sorry some photos are a little blurry...there's no keeping up with these speed demons!

Brian LeFauve, Graycliff Board member and Marketing Genius

Board President Chuck LeFevre with newly acquired sconce

Docent Training Co-Chair George Struebel and Marianne Myles (who's been on the injured list lately...glad to see her...)

Joe and Jimmy Kryszczuk , window clearers extraordinaire!

John Michaels, who helps in very possible way!

Jim Beardsley, Docent, Emergency Deliveries, and even Windows!

Chair of Historic Housekeeping Linda Weyand, with two name tags.....we're not likely to forget your name, Linda!

Lori Conti, who looks much better in "real life" than in this photo.  

Penny Wesley made home made coffee cake!  Rave reviews!  Everyone loved it!

Board Secretary and co-Chair of Volunteers Phyllis Spears and Stacy Tuberdyke, who's been a volunteer since she was a wee slip of a girl.

Board VP Pat Mahoney and staffer John Strawbrich, Master of Maintenance

Rhiannon and Loretta Davis---Graycliff runs in the family!

Anita Mitchell--cleaning...and researching, too!

Sue  Nickson, Washing Away!

Joan Polanowski, soon to be a docent!

Tom Browne cleans an historic light fixture; and ponders the "mystery string"

Karen Young in the Corner

Sheila Flint and Phyllis Spears share window cleaning and docenting tips with Carl Siracuse, who's going to be an excellent docent

Pizza lunch after hard work, with (l. to r.) Brian LeFauve, Chuck LeFevre, Marianne Myles, Stacy Tuberdyke, and Pat Mahoney (Diane Schrenk was reviewing the cake).

Martha Kryszczuk with official Graycliff Green Olive Pizza

George Struebel and Tom Browne at lunchtime, after fixing a door

It was also Isabelle  Martin's 147th Birthday--so a cake was in order!

Latest Graycliff News

Graycliff in the News

Graycliff is featured as one of the 15 Most Beautiful Places in Upstate New York by Thrillist.  See it for yourself here: Thrillist

Graycliff Docent Training Starts Tomorrow, Saturday, April 2nd, 2016

Spread the word to anyone who might be interested in becoming a Graycliff docent, or if you're a returning Docent and would like a refresher before the season begins, meet at the Pavilion at 9:30 am.

New this year:  Horticulturalist Nellie Gardner will give a session on Graycliff's Historic Landscape on Saturday, April 30th as part of training.

Graycliff Spring Clean Up

Next week, Saturday, April 9th, 2016 from 9:15 to about 12:30 pm.    Many of you have signed up already....if you plan to attend, please let us know.  Graycliff Spring Clean Up

Spring Has Sprung!

Spring Clean Up!

Join us for Spring Clean Up on Saturday, April 9th from 9:15 am to about 12:30 pm.  Lite breakfast, readying  Graycliff for the season, then pizza lunch and an update for the season ahead.

Yes, the offical Graycliff pizza (with green olives) will be available...as well as other kinds.  PLEASE RSVP for Spring Clean Up so that we have enough supplies...and food....and name tags!

Friday, March 25 to Sunday, March 27Wright Society Virtual Summit 

Free and On-line!

The Wright Society Virtual Summit, features 5 guest experts including Patrick Cannon, author of Hometown Architect, Prairie Metropolis, and The Space Within, as well as our own Patrick Mahoney, VP of Graycliff and author of Frank Lloyd Wright's Scholarly Clients: William and Mary Heath. 

The 2016 summit will explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style where Cannon discusses his work documenting the PRAIRIE REVOLUTION—while being interviewed inside Wright's Oak Park Studio.

Martin House Trip

The Martin House's Tour Coordinator, Monica Stage, thought perhaps some of Graycliff's docents and other volunteers might be interested in their upcoming trip to Albany and the Hudson Valley.
Here are the details on the trip:

Exciting Winter at Graycliff!

All kinds of things have been happening at Graycliff (during what is supposed to be our "quiet" time) ---so see below to stay in the loop!

YULETIDE TOURS
Yuletide tours were very well attended, due to the wonderful weather, terrific coverage in the Buffalo News, and the wonderful holiday decor by volunteers Dave and Gail Solowski, Gary Tomquist, Barb Harris, Martha and Joe Kryszczuk. They really outdid themselves this year!  Thank you, too, to all docents who led Yuletide tours, during the holidays.  And especially appreciated are those who took down all the decor...Stacey Tuberdyke, Lynette Domanski, Linda Weyand, Martha Kryszcuk and Pauline Bentkowski. Our visitors, from across the country, greatly appreciated the opportunity to see Graycliff looking so lovely, thanks to your efforts.

Notice the lack of snow?

SQUARE
New this season:  We have installed Square to handle gift shop sales.  It's not only much less bulky than our old system, it's also much speedier, and we have two Ipads to handle sales, which means two places rather than just one to check out.  This should speed things up considerably, with fewer lines at check out.

ON-LINE TICKETING
Also new this season:  On-line ticketing.  Our visitors will be able to purchase tickets directly from our website, starting February 1st.  They can print tickets at home (no matter where in the world they live) and bring them to Graycliff, or they can use their cell phone and present it when they arrive at Graycliff.    For our docents, a benefit of this system will be that tours will be pre-paid rather than just by reservation....which means fewer "no-shows" and that Graycliff will be able to better track, in advance, the number of people scheduled for each tour, and share that info with docents.  Of course, there will still be "walk-ins", which will be accommodated only if a tour is not sold out.

WIN AN OVERNIGHT AT THE ROYCROFT INN!
If you bring a group of ten or more people to tour Graycliff this season--your book club, your church, all your visiting relatives, etc.---you will be eligible to win an overnight stay at the Roycroft Inn! Open only to Graycliff volunteers (and yes, if you bring two groups, you will have two chances.)    You have a MUCH better chance to win than playing Powerball....and the fun of staying at the lovely, restored Roycroft. Enjoy a mini-vacation in your own backyard, and help Graycliff at the same time.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE STUPID CRIMINAL AWARD GOES TO....

Rodney Crane, who is alleged to have stolen a Wright chair and other items from Price Tower, then committed more serious crimes while out on bail.  Read more here... 

Would you buy a Wright chair from this man?

Graycliff Volunteer Co-Authors Book!

A recently published book about Grand Island was co-authored by Graycliff volunteer June Crawford.  Volunteer Wendy Duignan contributed her photography expertise to salvage old photographs and prepare the images for publication in the book.  Although the book has nothing to do with Graycliff or Frank Lloyd Wright, it provides a fascinating glimpse into part of western New York's history.  Way to go June and Wendy!  The book is available at Barnes & Noble.  If anyone purchases the book and would like it signed, I'm confident you can get June to do so at Spring Cleanup (April 9th, for those who like to plan in advance).  Here's a picture of the book's cover: