Arts Volunteer Opportunities
Email us if you need volunteers to support your artistic or creative project.
Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail
The Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail is seeking volunteers for their Reentry Program, which connects offenders with resources and services that will provide for a smoother transition back into the community. The program consists of twelve-week sessions with a three week break between each session. Volunteers will facilitate one class a week and materials and lesson plans can be provided, if needed. Facilitators are needed to teach art classes or any subject that you feel that you could bring to the program. If you are interested in facilitating a class or just want to find out more information, please contact Robert Barnabei.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge seeks arts-oriented volunteers to mentor a child. Volunteers are matched in a one-on-one, professionally-supported mentorship to share weekly activities focusing on fun and positive youth development. In order to ensure successful matches, volunteers must commit to meet with their Little for about two hours each week for at least one year. For more information, contact Tosha Russock at (434) 244-0882 or tosha@bbbsocbr.org.
The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative
The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative is seeking volunteers to assist with events, programming, gallery hours and more. For more information, email info@thebridgepai.com or call (434) 984-5669.
Chroma Projects
Chroma Projects is in need of a volunteer to help with internet outreach. They want to have more internet presence and active update procedures, such as getting images up on the website, keeping Facebook current and doing Twitter announcements. For more information or to apply, email Deborah McLeod, call (434) 202-0269, or stop by the gallery.
The Crossings
Volunteer opportunities abound at the Crossings, a mixed-income community of studio apartments for homeless and low-income clients in Charlottesville. Opportunities include client centered programs, in which volunteers interact with residents that can include anything from cooking demonstrations to art classes and yoga sessions. Volunteers can also work on a current gardening project or assist with marketing and PR. If interested, please email Anne Deery. To receive the latest news and volunteer opportunities, sign up here.
The Enrichment Alliance of Virginia
The Enrichment Alliance is seeking a volunteer assistant for program materials. Volunteer will assist in finding and/or creating materials for program activities, as well as helping us keep hands-on enrichment materials, such as art and science kits, maintained and organized. Hours are very flexible and the assistant may work from home or in the organization’s office. For more information or to volunteer, email Mary Anna Dunn or call (434) 295-1002.
Festival of Cultures
The Festival of Cultures’ mission is to celebrate the linguistic and cultural diversity in our local community, to increase awareness and understanding of that diversity in a respectful environment, and to provide an opportunity for building a bridge of communication between new Americans and established residents. The Festival is organized by the Charlottesville City Schools Adult Learning Center with the involvement and support of many other individuals and organizations. If you would like to volunteer to be a part of the Festival, please contact Debbie Tuler or Heidi Gordon.
Four County Players
Four County Players provides a hands-on theatrical experience for amateurs and professionals of all ages. They can always use volunteers to help with stage managing, costumes, makeup, set design and construction, lighting, sound, and publicity. To get involved or find out more information, please email theatermanager@fourcp.org or call (540) 832-5355.
Habitat for Humanity Sunrise Park Community Center
The Habitat for Humanity Sunrise Park Community Center on Carlton Avenue is in search of art teachers to lead classes to residents in drawing, painting, sculpture and photography. Newly opened in September, the Sunrise Park Community Center is looking for enthusiastic individuals with a passion for working with low-income Charlottesville residents. Background in the visuals arts, patience and a good attitude are important qualities in a volunteer for this position. Classes are usually scheduled for Monday-Saturday, 9:00am-8:00pm. To volunteer, please email criopel@cvillehabitat.org or call (434) 960-7646.
JABA
Volunteers are needed to work with area seniors and help with arts and crafts, flower arranging, sewing, and other activities at adult care centers. Hours are flexible during weekdays. For more information, email Becky Calvert.
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA
Volunteer to give tours on traditional and contemporary Australian Aboriginal art. Being a docent, or tour guide, is an opportunity to connect with the world beyond Charlottesville – all the way to Australia! Giving tours allows you to freely discover the complexity and beauty of Aboriginal art while educating others about the world’s oldest continuous art form. Training starts on May 21. For more information visit the Kluge-Rhue Website, email Lauren Maupin, or call 434-244-0234.
Light House Studio
Light House Studio is looking for experienced filmmakers to assist in mentoring some of their upcoming workshops. Winter workshops are usually once or twice a week after school hours and cover the topics of music scoring, animation, documentary, and tv production. Some positions are volunteer, and others are paid based on experience. If you have teaching experience, and knowledge of cameras, editing, production, or special software skills, and are a college student, recent graduate, or professional, please send a message and resume to Jason Robinson.
Live Arts
Volunteer opportunities abound both onstage and offstage at Live Arts. Actors, directors, stage managers, musicians, carpenters, costumers, designers, board operators, and run crew. Work on a production this season. Meet new people, develop new skills, and – best of all – have fun in a creative, supportive setting. Not sure how to get involved? Attend a volunteer training session, held the third Tuesday of every month. For more information, call (434) 977-4177 or email Scott Dunn.
Mary Williams Community Center
JABA’s Mary Williams Community Center is looking for artists to do projects with seniors. They have tons of materials, a nice large meeting space, and an enthusiastic group of seniors – they just need volunteer artists to help lead projects. For more information, call Misty Boos at (434) 817-9424.
McIntire Department of Music at the University of Virginia
There are countless volunteer opportunities at the McIntire Department of Music at UVa which includes distributing music event fliers around Charlottesville, ushering at music events, and many more. Volunteering would help you become more connected to the music community in Charlottesville by becoming more knowledgeable of music and learning about local musicians. If interested, fill out this online application.
Music Resource Center
The Music Resource Center (MRC) is a state-of-the-art facility where teens can learn the latest technology in the music industry and study and participate in every phase of music production. The mission of the MRC is to educate and inspire young people through music and equip them with life skills for the future. The MRC is seeking volunteers with musical skills to teach and mentor middle school and high school students. Volunteers are paired with students with similar musical interests and meet one-on-one to work on the students’ goals. Areas in which skilled volunteers are needed are: acoustic and electric guitar, drums, male and female vocal training, bass guitar, songwriting, music theory, beat production, and dance. For more information, contact Maria Gall.
The Paramount Theater
The Paramount Theater seeks volunteers to help with upcoming events. Duties include greeting guests, handing out programs, ushering, and working concessions. Shifts are usually 4 hours (mainly evening). Additional volunteer options include daytime administrative tasks. It’s a great volunteer experience in a warm and friendly environment with the perk of seeing free performances. If interested, download the application here.
Piedmont Council for the Arts
Piedmont Council for the Arts is looking for arts enthusiasts who are interested in serving in a volunteer capacity to help maintain PCA’s comprehensive online arts calendar for the Charlottesville area. Commitment entails entering and managing calendar events every other week. Work can be done from home or in the PCA office at CitySpace. It’s great volunteer experience with a non-profit arts organization. For more information, please contact info@charlottesvillearts.org.
Second Street Gallery
Second Street Gallery’s primary mission is to enliven Virginia through access to the best in contemporary art and artists, and to inspire new ways of thinking, seeing, and doing. The gallery seeks community-minded volunteers to help accomplish and extend this mission by helping with monthly exhibition openings, installations, deinstallations, and special gallery events. Gallery sitters are needed any time Tuesday-Saturday from 11:00am-6:00pm. Interested parties should call (434) 977-7284 or email Andrew Greeley.
The Southern Cafe and Music Hall
The Southern, a local music venue, seeks a creative local resident to curate a monthly art exhibit in their entryway/lobby with a First Fridays opening reception for each exhibit. The Southern prefers that the art exhibits be connected somehow to music, either in theme or perhaps a direct connection to a musician locally or touring through The Southern. Past examples of exhibits at The Southern include musicians displaying their artwork or bands who have brought in an artist responsible for their album art. This is a great opportunity for a music and art lover to combine their interests and develop skills in curating and installing art exhibits in a setting that receives a lot of traffic during events while also not being a traditional “white box” gallery space. Please email info@charlottesvillearts.org for further details.
University of Virginia Art Museum
The UVA Art Museum accepts volunteers to be trained in it’s docent course. Give engaging tours to school groups while learning about elements of art, skill, and museum display. Volunteer options and requirements vary and there are options to volunteer in various events and presentations associated with the museum. For more information please visit the UVA Museum website.
Virginia NeuroCare
Virginia NeuroCare, a community-based provider of brain injury services, is seeking volunteer art teachers for patients in their residential treatment program. The program started three years ago with visual art, later adding African drumming in collaboration with Charlottesville Area Rhythm & Dance and poetry writing in collaboration with VSA arts. Volunteers teach survivors of brain injury to embrace the creative forces of art as a leisure activity and a therapeutic modality to challenge perceptual and cognitive deficits. For more information, contact Leigh Wion at (434) 220-4596 or leigh.wion@thementornetwork.com.
WTJU
UVa’s radio station, WTJU 91.1 FM, is looking for volunteer announcers. WTJU provides the training; the announcer provides the enthusiasm and love of music. All volunteer announcers get to program their own shows. For more information, call (434) 924-0885 or click here.
