Volunteer

Ambassadors create a friendly, welcoming environment, provide way-finding through the campus, monitor visitors for safety and accessibility concerns, and provide exceptional customer service. Duties include greeting students and visitors, assisting with student loading and unloading, checking-in students, providing general information on exhibitions and events; and presenting an overview of the PenArt campus.

Docents share their knowledge and enthusiasm to help visitors gain insight into art, and are a vital part of PenArt’s efforts to provide experiences that educate and inspire. Docents lead tours of PenArt’s exhibitions for children and adults, and involve tour participants in lively discussions about the art on view. Docents receive training on each exhibition, PenArt’s permanent art collection, the history of PenArt, AND how to effectively lead tour groups. Docents must commit to attending training programs.

Do you enjoy getting your hands dirty? Volunteers are needed spring, summer, and fall in PenArt’s gardens to help with on-going maintenance and cleanup projects; and with staff support, creating new or re-imagined garden spaces. Individuals can either volunteer on a regular basis or participate in specific work days that require larger groups.

We always have need for additional hands to assist us in making our workshop programs the best they can be. Whether that’s keeping spaces clean, ensuring that students have the supplies they need, or just making sure everything works the way it should. Studio Assistant opportunities include preparing studios for student arrival, supporting students in the printmaking studios, loading kilns, glazing ceramic works, assisting with printers and digital technology, and preparing supplies for upcoming programs.

With a year-round calendar of exhibitions and the nationally-recognized Door County Plein Air Festival, there are a multitude of opportunities to assist in the receiving, packing and unpacking, and installation of artwork in our gallery. Learn how to handle artwork and ways to display and hang artwork. Volunteers must be able to climb step ladders and use basic hand tools (hammers, screw drivers, level).

If you like interacting with children or have a background in teaching and/or art, you may enjoy assisting our youngest artists at a Family Art Day (the third Saturday of the month from September through May) or during a school visit. Responsibilities include greeting students and families, handing out supplies, assisting with the art-making activities, keeping art supplies well-stocked, and assisting with clean-up or tear down of workshop spaces. Volunteers must enjoy working with children (ages 3–12) and be able to work continuously for 2–3 hour periods.

Special Event Volunteers help plan, decorate, and staff one of our many special events throughout the year. If you like working in a group, helping visitors, or want to put your creative skills to work, consider these one-time volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers are needed for all aspects of events, from set up to tear down.

Do you have a special talent you’d like to share with PenArt? Special project volunteers use their unique skills to support PenArt, including photographing workshops and events, language translation at public events, or assisting with organizational tasks in the administrative offices.