Volunteer

VOLUNTEERING AT OXYGEN ART CENTRE

Oxygen Art Centre (OAC) relies on a committed group of volunteers to maintain day-to-day operations, provide accessible programming, and create meaningful relationships with community members. Volunteers lend their time and skills in various ways, including gallery hosting, exhibition installation, and supporting events.

Oxygen is always looking for people who would like to share their skills and become involved in their artist-run centre as volunteers. We currently have positions open to assist with specific tasks:

– Gallery hosting

– Event support

– Exhibition installation

For students and youth, volunteering at Oxygen can be used towards volunteer hours and is a vital contribution to developing your resume. Aside from supporting your artist-run centre, volunteering is a great way to expand your overall network of mentors and peers while gaining valuable experience.

Volunteering is an excellent way to get involved with the Oxygen community, spend time with contemporary art, and make your Oxygen art education courses even more affordable!

VOLUNTEER TUITION CREDIT PROGRAM

Volunteers are eligible for Oxygen’s Volunteer Tuition Credit Program. Every hour of volunteering can be exchanged for $8.00 off any art class in Oxygen’s Education program, covering up to 50% of course tuition.

GALLERY HOSTING

Oxygen’s Exhibition and Residency program rely on a dedicated group of volunteer gallery hosts to provide regular hours of operation during exhibitions. The public is invited to experience exhibitions from Wednesdays to Saturdays from 1:00 – 5:00 PM and open studio and adjunct programming events during residencies. Oxygen presents four exhibitions and one to two residencies annually.

Gallery Hosting is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the artist(s), exhibition, and contemporary art while interacting with the public. Volunteers will engage in an exhibition orientation, often directly with the artists, curators, and Oxygen staff. Gallery Hosts will also engage with educational materials about the exhibition or event. Volunteers can host exhibitions for the entire duration (1:00 – 5:00 PM, 4 hours) or portions of shifts. 

To become a Gallery Host, please contact Oxygen’s Education Coordinator Natasha Smith to express interest. Calls to Volunteers are publicized via email and social media two- to four weeks before the exhibition.

EVENT SUPPORT

Providing support to Oxygen’s in-person and online events, Event Support volunteers typically engage in the following tasks:

  • Setting up and tearing down in-person events
  • Supporting the co-host for online events
  • Supporting hospitality
  • Welcoming visitors to events
  • Membership sign-up
  • Programming information

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all events take place online. To find more information about Oxygen’s events, please visit our website. 

EXHIBITION INSTALLATION

Providing support to Oxygen staff during exhibition installation, volunteers typically engage in the following tasks:

  • Cleaning and facility maintenance
  • Painting walls and plinths
  • Construction 
  • Artwork unpacking and documentation
  • Artwork installation
  • Lighting

Due to COVID-19, Oxygen staff facilitate exhibition installation. We look forward to welcoming exhibition installation volunteers and are actively accepting expressions of interest for future opportunities. To find more information about Oxygen Exhibitions, please visit our website.

CONTACT

If you would like to share your skills and subscribe to our volunteer mailing list, please email: education@oxygenartcentre.org

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