Volunteers

Administrative Assistance: Occasional opportunities available during weekday office hours. Help with mailings, photocopying, filing, and assembling invitations.

Special Events: Occasional opportunities available on weekends. Greet guests, take tickets, and help with set up and clean up.

Education Workshops: Occasional opportunities available on weekends. Greet participants, assist children and/or adults with hands-on art activities, and help with set up and clean up.

Annual Kemper Street Museum at Plaza Art Fair: Be part of the fun! The Kemper Museum sponsors an interactive booth at the Plaza Art Fair, which takes place every third weekend in September. Assist families with hands-on art projects, give away prizes, and help with set up and clean up.

Visitor Services: Steady opportunities available on weekends. Greet visitors, answer visitors’ questions about the Museum, exhibitions, and programming, and keep exhibition supplements stocked. Must volunteer once a month and attend mandatory quarterly meetings. One year commitment is required.

Docents: Steady opportunities available on weekdays and weekends. Lead interactive tours of special and permanent collection exhibitions. Must lead a minimum of two tours a month and attend monthly educational meetings. Must be current Museum member and complete a mandatory 12-week training course. One year commitment is required.

Internships

Opportunities are available for in depth, hands-on training within the following departments:

Administration: This department manages the Museum’s fiscal activity, shop and café sales revenue, facility maintenance, security, and human resources. Projects could include analyzing year-end statistics, cash flow, monthly expenses, revenue over time, and assisting with the development of the MIp accounting software.

Curatorial: This department researches, organizes, and writes interpretative materials for special and permanent collection exhibitions. Projects could include researching artists and related topics, requesting information from galleries and artists, writing didactic materials, developing and maintaining artist files, preparing correspondence, and attending to general office duties. (Graduate students preferred.)

Development: This department researches, solicits, and fosters donors, grants, corporate partnerships, and members. Projects could include researching new funding sources, assisting with the development of the Raiser’s Edge software system, andpreparing mass mailings.

Education: This department organizes and facilitates adult classes, children’s workshops, concerts, films, and discussions to enhance visitors’ appreciation and understanding of art. Projects could include researching and writing educational materials, organizing an event, and developing docent files.

Marketing & Communications: This department manages all media requests; writes and sends out press releases; designs Museum publications; markets the Museum, its exhibitions, its collection, and Café Sebastienne; and develops Museum web site. Projects could include archiving Museum media placements, assisting with the distribution of press releases, updating web site content, graphic design work, and preparing correspondence.

Preparation: This department oversees the installation and de-installation of exhibitions. Projects could include the safe handling of artwork, prepping and painting gallery walls, installing didactic materials, vinyl, and lighting, moving objects between the Museum and warehouse, basic carpentering, and mount-making.

Registration: This department cares for the permanent collection and organizes the shipping, insurance, and crating for special exhibitions. Projects could include conducting artwork condition reports, working in the institutional archive, assisting with the development of the Embark collection management database, and preparing correspondence.

Special Events: This department manages the rental of the Museum’s facilities for meetings and receptions. Projects could include researching and soliciting possible clients, preparing contracts, giving on-site support at events, and preparing correspondence.

Internships are typically three to four months long and a minimum of eight hours per week (an exact schedule will be determined between the intern and departmental supervisor). Internships are unpaid but course credit can be arranged with the intern’s home institution.

Please mail your résumé, two letters of recommendation, and a cover letter, which includes your departmental preference and availability, to:

Volunteer Coordinator
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
4420 Warwick Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64111

Timeline for submitting materials:

WInter internship (January–May)	Deadline: November 15
Summer internship (June–August)	Deadline: April 15
Fall internship (September–December)	Deadline: July 15

You will receive an e-mail confirmation from the Volunteer Coordinator when your materials arrive. Candidates for interviews will be notified by a departmental supervisor via telephone or e-mail.