Volunteer

Volunteers are at the heart of Fairbanks Arts!

Fairbanks Arts Association has provided Interior AK with quality arts programs since 1966, and we can’t do it without you! Volunteering with Fairbanks Arts is a great way to connect with the artistic community and to learn more about opportunities for artists and audiences in every discipline.

Why volunteer?

There are many reasons to volunteer for your community arts organization from professional development opportunities to encouraging civic responsibility. Here are a few specific benefits:

  • Increase the volunteerism section of your resume! Fairbanks Arts will provide letters/calls of reference for individuals who have completed at least 80 volunteer hours.
  • Make connections in the arts community with Fairbanks Arts’ team, local artists, our guest readers, jurors, other volunteers, arts participants, and more. Volunteering with Fairbanks Arts is a great networking opportunity!
  • Learn new skills or build on existing ones! Fairbanks Arts volunteers assist with a range of tasks across programs and events, from general administrative tasks, to making sales in the Bear Gallery and Gift Shop, to decorating at events, to sharing information about Fairbanks Arts to the public, and more!
  • Take an active role in strengthening your community! When you volunteer with Fairbanks Arts, you actively participate in creating a stronger, healthier community in and through the arts. As a local arts council, Fairbanks Arts is able to offer a wide breadth of programs, services, and resources to artists, arts organizations, and arts participants with a modestly-sized team thanks to amazing community volunteers. Fairbanks Arts also heavily relies on community volunteer input to guide various activities of the organization.

Community Service

Fairbanks Arts’ programs provide a unique opportunity to earn community service hours. To be considered for community service, please fill out our general Volunteer Interest Form and a Fairbanks Arts team member will be in contact with you.

Visual Arts in the Bear Gallery

Fairbanks Arts celebrates the opening of new art exhibitions in the Bear Gallery during a reception on the first Friday of every month. Several tasks occur to ensure exhibitions are ready for the public and facilitate First Fridays and the gallery’s open hours. You can click the section header above to return to the top of this page at any time.

Gallery Docents (Weekly 3-hour shifts OR fill-in shifts)

You can make a difference with 3 hours per week– no prior experience is required! Fairbanks Arts is able to maintain a free admission gallery thanks to the assistance of our volunteer docents!

Fairbanks Arts currently needs the following docent volunteers: Fill-in coverage (become trained as a docent and help cover when there are cancellations by regularly scheduled docents)

Docent responsibilities include:

  • Making gift shop and exhibition sales;
  • Maintaining a tidy, respectful, and congenial environment in the gallery;

Fairbanks Arts docents become familiar with Alaskan artwork and artists, learn how an art gallery is managed, and have time to practice their art, read, or study in a lovely atmosphere.

Hours: Docents typically volunteer for one shift per week, although different arrangements can be made based on availability. Shifts are Noon-3 pm and 3-6 pm, Monday-Saturday.

Exhibition Assistance

Exhibition installation and de-installation

Art exhibitions are open from the First Friday through the last Saturday of each month. Many hours of preparation support one exhibition seamlessly transitioning into the next in just a few days. Volunteers support this swift changeover by assisting with artwork installation and de-installation, painting pedestals, cutting and hanging labels, and lighting the gallery. Thanks to the collaboration between Fairbanks Arts staff and volunteers, the public can access beautiful Alaskan contemporary art without long waiting periods.

Special Exhibitions Assistance:

Fairbanks Arts hosts special exhibitions throughout the year, such as an annual student art show, a juried exhibition, an open entry show, and more. Volunteer assistance during a special exhibition may include some combination of:

  • Assisting during a jury process (a guest artist who selects the exhibited works)
  • Supporting artwork intake for group or juried shows
  • Providing various support, as needed, depending on the exhibition’s needs

First Friday Reception Help:

The First Friday of each month marks the opening of a new exhibition at Fairbanks Arts and a special time for the community to gather at these social, celebratory events. Volunteer assistance is critical for making these events run smoothly. Volunteer support may include:

  • Counting visitors
  • Prepping food
  • Event set up & clean up
  • Docent responsibilities to help facilitate sales
Submit a Volunteer Interest Form

Arts Education Programs

Usher for School Performances

Fairbanks Arts partners with local performing arts organizations to bring amazing musical and theatrical performances to students of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District over the course of the academic year (August-May).

These hour-long performances take place in local performance venues from 10:10am-11:10 a.m. Fairbanks Arts ushers and staff help students find their seats on performance days and support a safe environment for all attendees. Once everyone is seated, students and ushers alike get to enjoy these incredible performances. Volunteering as an usher is a great way to see some of the acts that come to town and help students learn how to be good audience members and community arts participants!

Up With Art Annual Student Exhibition

Art is key to a complete education and is a powerful vehicle for expression, exploration, and skill-building– Fairbanks Arts proudly presents the Up With Art student art exhibition in partnership with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District (FNSBSD) annual in March, during National Youth Art Month. Before this show, K–12-grade students enrolled in an FNSBSD-affiliated institution are invited to submit one piece of art made at home or school to be exhibited in Up With Art. Volunteers are crucial to this show’s success and support various administrative and exhibition tasks.

Submit a Volunteer Interest Form

Literary Arts

Literary Readings

Fairbanks Arts hosts free literary readings for the public, featuring Alaskan and visiting authors who work in a variety of genres. Literary readings typically take place in the evening (between 6-8:30 p.m. from event set-up to clean up) and benefit from the following volunteer assistance:

  • Docent responsibilities to help facilitate sales during a reading
  • Counting visitors
  • Prepping food
  • Event set up & clean up
  • Set up and facilitation of any technical components of a reading
Submit a Volunteer Interest Form

Special Events


In addition to the events listed above, Fairbanks Arts also hosts various events such as artist lectures, fundraisers, workshops, performances, festivals, and markets. Most events are held in Pioneer Park, though some events are held in other community locations. Volunteer assistance is vital to making these various events safe, fun, successful community engagement opportunities!  You can click the section header above to return to the top of this page at any time.

Handmade Holiday Market

This gathering aims to connect artists, artisans, and creatives with the broader community and with one another and activates all of Pioneer Park! Fairbanks Arts’ Market inside the Exhibit Hall of the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts is a celebratory event promoting locally crafted art, treats, and objects resulting from time, skill, and creativity. The 2023 Market event welcomed over 3,500 visitors from around Interior Alaska! Volunteer assistance is needed:

Submit a Volunteer Interest Form
  • Decorating for the event
  • setting up/ cleaning up
  • Assisting with vendor load in and vendor hospitality throughout the day
  • Counting visitors
  • Assisting with Fairbanks Arts’ info table and fundraising stations

Chena Lake Art & Music Festival

The Chena Lake Art & Music Festival takes place out at the Chena Lake Recreation Area in North Pole, Alaska, during the summer months. This outdoor event features art vendors, food trucks, musical performances, and activities for visitors of all ages. Volunteers assist with:

  • Event set-up/clean up
  • Assisting with vendor load in and vendor hospitality throughout the day
  • Counting visitors
  • Assisting with Fairbanks Arts’ info table and fundraising stations

Outreach Events

Fairbanks Arts participates in various outreach events throughout the year, that are managed in collaboration between Fairbanks Arts staff and volunteers. Volunteers assist with set-up/clean up, decorating, facilitating activities, and sharing information about Fairbanks Arts with the public.

Submit a Volunteer Interest Form

Join a Fairbanks Arts Committee

Fairbanks Arts committees have been on an extended hiatus courtesy of our 2019 temporary relocation, followed by a pandemic– we are excited to begin convening committees (including some new ones) soon! Committees are made up of current Fairbanks Arts Members who are invested in guiding and supporting the various programs, events, and efforts of Fairbanks Arts Association.

If you are interested in getting involved with your community arts organization and connecting with the arts community through this volunteer opportunity, click the button below.

Submit a Volunteer Interest Form