Volunteer
YBCA welcomes the support of volunteers with a wide range of interests and skills who want to give back to their community by supporting the Bay Area’s premier venue for contemporary art. Volunteers are active participants in the life of YBCA and work closely with staff and curators in a variety of capacities. Read on and let us know if you think you can give us a hand by emailing us!
Volunteer Ushers
Be a part of a vibrant community of performing arts lovers and see great shows! Ushers are recruited for performances in both Novellus Theater and Forum.
Requirements:
- Work one show a month and two during the holiday season. Show shifts are approximately four hours.
- Be outgoing and enthusiastic about the performing arts
- Be able to work on your feet; duties include stuffing programs, tearing tickets, distributing programs and showing patrons to their seats
Benefits:
- Opportunity to support one of the nation’s leading contemporary art centers
- Interact and network with other performance enthusiasts
- Opportunity to see the performances you work; seating subject to availability
- For more info call 415.978.2710 x 200
Membership and Subscription Sales Volunteers
YBCA is seeking enthusiastic performing arts lovers to promote actively YBCA’s Membership and Subscription programs. Sales Volunteers are stationed at tables in our lobbies prior to performance events and during intermission, to talk up the benefits of Membership and Subscription, answer questions and take orders from the public. Meet great people and see inspiring new performance works!
Requirements:
- Be available for 1 – 2 training sessions per season
- Work a minimum of five performance shifts per season
- Be outgoing and enthusiastic about the YBCA Performance series
Benefits:
- Opportunity to support one of the nation’s leading contemporary art centers
- Receive a complimentary Basic Membership
- Attend the performances you work, seating subject to availability
Gallery Volunteers
Share your passion for contemporary art as a YBCA Gallery Volunteer. Get in-depth training from our curators on our cutting edge exhibitions and sign up for a 3-hour shift once a week. It's as easy as that.
Requirements:
- Interest in and knowledge of contemporary visual art
- Outgoing and enthusiastic about YBCA exhibitions programs
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills
- Duties include working the Opening Night Party, manning the YBCA Info Desk, being on hand in the galleries to answer visitor questions, leading small impromptu gallery tours
- 4-month commitment for the run of an exhibition; one three-hour shift per week
Benefits:
- Opportunity to support one of the nation’s leading contemporary art centers
- Opportunity to learn about YBCA’s exhibitions from the curators and artists
- Unlimited gallery admission for you and one guest for the exhibition you work
- If interested, please email us your resume
Daytime Office Volunteers
Daytime volunteers support YBCA’s administrative staff on an "as-needed" basis between 9 am and 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
Requirements:
- General office skills; duties include answering telephones, taking messages, greeting guests, preparing mailings, clipping news articles, photo copying, paste-up, filing and data entry
- Availability during the work day
Benefits:
- Opportunity to support one of the nation’s leading contemporary art centers
- Admission to YBCA exhibitions
Internships
Unpaid Internships are available from time to time within specific departments. Internships provide valuable job experience and an inside look at the workings of a contemporary arts center. See the Jobs section for currently available positions.