Volunteer Opportunities

The Museum of Contemporary Craft welcomes the support of volunteers who want to give back to the community by sharing their time and energy to enhance one of Portland’s premiere art institutions. Volunteers are actively engaged in the life of MoCC and work closely with staff, visitors and artists in a variety of ways.

Prospective volunteers should enjoy discussing craft, be excited about working with a diverse range of individuals, and have the ability to make a four month commitment with a two shift minimum per month.

Front Desk Greeter / Exhibition Gallery Attendant

Museum Front Desk Greeters provide information to visitors regarding exhibitions, policies, museum lay-out and more. In addition, this role assists in checking items for visitors and may also serve as a Gallery Attendant by patrolling and monitoring the Museum galleries in order to maintain a safe and secure environment. Volunteer Greeters must possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills. This position serves to provide exceptional visitor service while the Admission’s volunteer accepts payment for entry.

Days: Tuesday – Saturday
Hours: Minimum 4 month commitment of two shifts per month; shifts: 11 am–2:30 pm and 2:30 pm–6 pm daily, and 5:30–8 pm First Thursdays of the month only.

Front Desk Admissions

Admissions volunteers handle cash and credit transactions with visitors. Volunteers in this role must have the ability to work with software and provide high quality customer service. Cash handling experience or QuickBooks Point of Sale experience is desirable. This position requires an admission systems training session and volunteering as a Greeter prior to serving in this role.

Days: Tuesday – Saturday
Hours: Minimum 4 month commitment of two shifts per month; shifts: 10:45–2:15 pm and 2:15 pm–5:45 pm daily.

Floater / Gallery Support

Floaters provide support throughout the Museum, on an as-needed basis and may be asked to work as Greeters, Exhibition Attendants, or Front Desk Admissions (see descriptions above). When not floating, volunteers will support The Gallery staff and help on the sales floor. The Gallery is an extension of the Museum, committed to providing access to exceptional examples of contemporary craft that are available for purchase. The Museum is a non-profit organization and The Gallery is a very important source of earned income for the organization. Volunteers in The Gallery greet visitors, assist with customer support, help maintain The Gallery’s appearance, learn about gallery artists and their process, in addition to other tasks.

Note: Volunteers must sign-up for 2 Greeter and 2 Admissions shifts prior to qualifying as Floater/Gallery Support. Floater/Gallery support volunteers do not handle actual sales transactions within The Gallery, but provide invaluable customer support leading up to a transaction.

Days: Tuesday – Saturday
Hours: Minimum 4 month commitment of two shifts per month; shifts: 11am-2:30pm and 2:30pm-6pm daily, 6pm-8pm during First Thursday of each month.

Special Events Support

Special museum events such as Members’ Exhibition Previews, receptions, dinners, fairs and fundraisers require volunteer support in many facets. Special Events Support Volunteers assist with welcoming guests, event production, gallery monitoring, disseminating information to visitors, hosting and other tasks; some heavy lifting may be required for some positions.

Days: Vary (A call for volunteers will be made at least one month prior to each event)
Hours: Vary depending on nature and time of event; although the majority of events occur after 5 pm. Shifts are generally 4 hours. Please note that volunteers must still maintain a 4 month commitment of two shifts per month.