Gardiner Museum Volunteer

Applications for our 2026 volunteer intake are now open! Spots are limited—apply online here.

Volunteers are important members of the Gardiner community, with roles to play in every aspect of the Museum’s operations. Volunteering not only gives you an insider’s understanding of how the Museum works, it puts you at the forefront of our mission to build community with clay.

If you’re passionate about providing a welcoming experience for Museum guests, gaining experience in an arts institution, or learning and sharing information about our collections, there’s a role to play at the Gardiner.

Active volunteers at the Gardiner receive numerous benefits, including:

• Discounts in the Gardiner Shop
• Discounts at Clay Restaurant
• Free admission to select Gardiner events and programs
• Reciprocal benefits at a number of other tourist destinations
• Invites to annual volunteer engagement and appreciation events

We welcome applications year-round; however, new volunteers are onboarded only once per year.

Areas of Support

All volunteer positions require a one year minimum commitment. To ensure your skills stay up to date and our volunteer support is consistent, we ask all volunteers to take on two shifts a month or to contribute 80 hours a year, whichever best suits your schedule.

Gallery Education

Education Volunteers act as ambassadors for the Gardiner Museum, providing visitors with information about the collection and animating the public spaces. They have advanced knowledge and enthusiasm for the works in our collection and actively enhance the vision and mission of the Museum.

Studio Programs

Programs Volunteers help facilitate our public family clay activities and regular children’s clay classes. Opportunities include supporting our weekly Family Sunday clay activities and our clay classes for children aged 5 – 13.

Front Desk

Front Desk Volunteers welcome visitors to the Museum, process admissions using a point of sale (POS) system, and provide general information to visitors both in person and over the telephone.

Library

Library Volunteers provide library services to Gardiner Staff, the public, and private researchers, such as cataloguing new additions, finding resources, and ensuring the collection is safely and properly stored. Volunteers are based in the Gail Brooker Ceramic Research Library, a part of the University of Toronto’s library system, located onsite at the Gardiner Museum

Shop

Shop Volunteers provide customers with information about artists and their work, process sales using a point of sale (POS) system, safely package purchases, and assist staff with retrieving inventory from the Shop Storage area.

Archives

Archives Volunteers help preserve the history of the Gardiner Museum and the Gardiner’s volunteers. Archives Volunteers typically work shifts together onsite in the Museum’s Gail Brooker Ceramic Research Library on Wednesdays from 10 am – 1 pm.

Volunteer Intake Process

Before you apply to become a Gardiner Museum volunteer, please review our minimum requirements to ensure it is the right opportunity for you:

• You are able to commit a minimum of one year of service, entailing two shifts a month or 80 hours over the course of the year
• You are at least 18 years of age
• You have access to email and the internet and are comfortable using the internet to view and schedule shifts and respond to Museum communications
• You are willing to complete free, online AODA training (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act)
• You will commit to adhering to the Museum’s Code of Conduct
• If applicable, you will provide a complete police check for the Province of Ontario