Volunteer of the Year: Jean-Marie Allion
Updated Jul 20, 2022
Jean-Marie Allion, our Volunteer of the Year, is a multi-faceted man.
Born and educated in France, he first came to Detroit at the tender age of 23. After a few years, he moved around the world in the service of the religious community he belongs to. He finally settled back in Detroit in 1996. He worked on the assembly line at Chrysler, as a janitor in a senior citizens residence and as a technician at Neighborhood Artisans, a nonprofit screen printing shop in Highland Park.
Allion has had a long-time interest in the DIA, viewing it as "a great institution of beauty and culture." After retiring from the working world, he became involved in volunteering as a way of serving Detroit, a city he values and appreciates. Six years ago his friend, fellow volunteer Dick Turnquist, suggested he investigate Gallery Service at the DIA. Allion took his friend's advice and has been with us ever since. He is out on the floor every Friday morning, greeting and assisting visitors of all ages. He is knowledgeable and charming, smiling and helpful, a steady, reliable presence in the galleries.
In addition to his involvement with the DIA, Allion is associated with several organizations that work to help people. He currently volunteers as an interpreter at Freedom House, a shelter for people seeking political asylum. He occasionally collaborates with Matrix Theatre Company in Southwest Detroit, where he exercises his talents as an actor, writer and stage manager. He is also involved in volunteering at his church, Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church.
When queried about his favorite works of art at the DIA, Allion has admitted to having "eclectic taste." His favorite pieces include work by Holbein the Younger and Mark Rothko, but the painting he enjoys most is Rembrandt's Head of Jesus.
DIA volunteers are the museum's ambassadors to the world. Gallery Service members, our volunteers on the floor, serve that role in the galleries. The DIA and Gallery Service are fortunate to have Jean-Marie Allion in our midst.
Jean-Marie Allion, our Volunteer of the Year, is a multi-faceted man.
Born and educated in France, he first came to Detroit at the tender age of 23. After a few years, he moved around the world in the service of the religious community he belongs to. He finally settled back in Detroit in 1996. He worked on the assembly line at Chrysler, as a janitor in a senior citizens residence and as a technician at Neighborhood Artisans, a nonprofit screen printing shop in Highland Park.
Allion has had a long-time interest in the DIA, viewing it as "a great institution of beauty and culture." After retiring from the working world, he became involved in volunteering as a way of serving Detroit, a city he values and appreciates. Six years ago his friend, fellow volunteer Dick Turnquist, suggested he investigate Gallery Service at the DIA. Allion took his friend's advice and has been with us ever since. He is out on the floor every Friday morning, greeting and assisting visitors of all ages. He is knowledgeable and charming, smiling and helpful, a steady, reliable presence in the galleries.
In addition to his involvement with the DIA, Allion is associated with several organizations that work to help people. He currently volunteers as an interpreter at Freedom House, a shelter for people seeking political asylum. He occasionally collaborates with Matrix Theatre Company in Southwest Detroit, where he exercises his talents as an actor, writer and stage manager. He is also involved in volunteering at his church, Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church.
When queried about his favorite works of art at the DIA, Allion has admitted to having "eclectic taste." His favorite pieces include work by Holbein the Younger and Mark Rothko, but the painting he enjoys most is Rembrandt's Head of Jesus.
DIA volunteers are the museum's ambassadors to the world. Gallery Service members, our volunteers on the floor, serve that role in the galleries. The DIA and Gallery Service are fortunate to have Jean-Marie Allion in our midst.