Volunteering

Museum of Modern Art volunteers have the opportunity to gain exposure to the workings of a major art museum and contribute valuable visitor services to a nonprofit institution. Applications are accepted at all times. We keep all applications on our waiting list, and will contact applicants with the required skills, interests, and availability for interviews as volunteer positions become available.

Qualified candidates should possess a love and appreciation of art, a flexible attitude for dealing effectively with the public, proficiency with computers, and an understanding that reliability is critical. To volunteer at MoMA, candidates must make a one-year commitment and be available for at least two shifts each month, unless otherwise stated in the volunteer requirements.

Please review the position descriptions before applying. Listed are some volunteer positions that become available most frequently.

Volunteering at MoMA PS1

Warm Up Volunteer

MoMA PS1 seeks hard-working and energetic volunteers for its annual Warm Up summer music series. Ideal applicant is punctual, friendly, articulate, extremely outgoing, comfortable with large crowds and festive atmospheres, and possess physical stamina (as most of the shift will be spent outdoors with long periods of standing, walking, and moderate lifting.) Assists with various aspects of the event, including staffing information tables and providing details about MoMA PS1, The Young Architects Program, and Warm Up to visitors; front-of-house support, including line management, ID verification, and assistance with guest list; encouraging visitors to sign up for the MoMA PS1 email list; and staffing water stations and coat check.

To volunteer at Warm Up, please send a PDF to volunteer_ps1@moma.org containing:

1. A résumé with two local references;
2. A cover letter including brief answers to the following questions.
   Have you volunteered at Warm Up before?
   Do you have any prior volunteer and/or relevant experience, specifically at events? If so, please describe. What would you bring to the Warm Up team?
   Why do you want to volunteer at MoMA PS1?
   What do you hope to gain from the experience?

Please use “Warm Up Volunteer” as the subject line of your email.

Volunteering at The Museum of Modern Art

Lobby Greeter

Greets and directs visitors, distributes general information, educates visitors about Museum programs and membership, answers general questions about the neighborhood and NYC, keeps visitor traffic moving and controlled, and assists lobby staff with other tasks upon request. Approaches families in the lobby and informs them about the resources available to families at MoMA. Seeks out and approaches groups at lobby entrances, and helps to orient them by greeting them, establishing whether they have a reservation, taking the group leader to group processing area, assisting the groups to check and retrieve belongings in the checkroom, and escorting them to the group waiting area. Maintains thorough knowledge of exhibitions, education programs, and other public offerings available at MoMA.

Information Desk Volunteer

Answers visitor questions at information desks beyond the lobby and on upper floors, including the Education and Family Information desk, and stocks and organizes brochures and materials at desks. Helps track visitor requests, questions, and comments to aid the Department of Visitor Services, including occasional visitor surveys. Maintains thorough knowledge of exhibitions, education programs, and other public offerings available at MoMA.

MoMA Art Lab Greeter

Greet visitors, instruct them where they can leave strollers and coats, record attendance, ask them to wait to be introduced to the Lab by a facilitator, and maintain a waiting list when necessary. Prepare art-making supplies, sharpen pencils, and help tidy the space. Educate visitors about Museum programs and inform them about the resources available to families at MoMA.

Family Gallery Programs Volunteer

Tours for Tweens (Gallery Talk): Greets and signs in families preregistered for Tours for Tweens. Creates name tags; waits for and guides latecomers to their group; assists Museum educator with group management in the galleries; hands out postcards and passes at the conclusion of the tour; and answers questions about Family Programs.

A Closer Look for Kids and Tours for Fours (Gallery Talks): Greets families as they enter the Museum, making sure they are escorted to the correct program; helps families store their belongings in lockers; answers questions about Family Programs and introduces new families to the program; creates name tags; guides families to their group; assists Museum educator with group management in the galleries; and hands out family activity guides, postcards, and passes at the conclusion of the tour.

Family Art Workshop Assistant

Greets and signs in families preregistered for Family Art Workshops. Assists in set-up of classroom for art workshops and with overall upkeep of the classroom. Assists Museum educator with group management in the galleries, during the workshop, and during cleanup. Hands out family activity guides and passes at the conclusion of the tour. In the studio, volunteers may help families directly, but will consult with Museum educator for specific instructions on how to best assist.

How to apply

To apply to be a MoMA Volunteer, please download an application (Adobe Acrobat Reader required) and send your completed application to:

volunteers@moma.org

OR

MoMA Volunteer Program
11 West 53 Street
New York, NY 10019-5497