Volunteer

Volunteers

Volunteers are needed in departments, such as the Library, Public Affairs, and Exhibitions. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact the Smithsonian's Behind the Scenes Volunteer program.

The Hirshhorn also needs volunteers to assist with large events, like our After Hours program. If you are interested in helping us with our events and programs, email us at hmsgwebmaster@si.edu.

Docents

Docents serve as a vital link between the public and the museum by assisting visitors in interpreting the art in our collection. They help visitors plan their visit, give 30 minute highlights tours on-demand, and roam the galleries to discuss the art with our visitors. The Hirshhorn currently has a volunteer staff of approximately 50 docents who also lead school groups on tours of the permanent collection, special exhibitions, and the Sculpture Garden.

Interpretive Guides

Contemporary art demands a more active viewer. The museum is responding by creating informal programming that engages visitors one-on-one in the galleries. With a question mark on their badge, emerging arts professionals are available throughout the galleries to discuss special exhibitions. These are upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in art history, education, studio arts, or other related fields. They complete in-depth research and exhibition training with staff. Periodically, they meet to discuss interpretative techniques that give the museum more information on how visitors use the museum and ways we can be more responsive to those needs. In partnership with the docent program, who offer similar services for the collection, these guides foster an open dialogue about works that encourage visitors to relate it to their own experience and interpret the art themselves.

Click here for more information on applying to be an Interpretive Guide.