GET INVOLVED
Interact is the place for high quality Internships, Service Learning Opportunities, and Volunteer Experiences!
Whether your interest is in the arts, in service to your community, or specifically in working with people with disabilities, Interact provides a rich environment for creative engagement and learning through doing.
Our work uniquely balances high quality, professional art making with a deep commitment to radical inclusion – a philosophy that includes every voice, that welcomes everyone into the creative experience, and that enriches us all. At Interact, you will work with artists who range in age from 18 to 94; who come from African-, Native-, Asian-, and European-American backgrounds; and who bring the entire gamut of disability labels into our mix.
Interact is flexible in designing the opportunity that helps you meet your own goals, from more structured Internships in your area of study, to Service Learning programs that immerse students in diverse aspects of their communities, to volunteer opportunities that fit into busy schedules. Here are some ways you can connect:
Working in our Art Studio
Studio volunteers assist instructors and work alongside our artists, sharing their expertise or simply providing conversation and fresh energy for artists who are eager to talk about their work. Volunteers may help out in one or more of our departments – painting, ceramics, woodwork, sculpture, jewelry making and assemblage. Responsibilities may include prep work and clean up, organizing art materials, and assisting in special projects. Or you might bring your own talent and experience to the Studio by leading workshops in your area of expertise. Studio volunteers are need between the hours of 10 am and 3pm, Monday through Friday. A background in the arts and/or interest in working with people with disabilities are required. Minimum commitment of two hours, once a week for three months.
Assisting with Exhibition Preparation and Installation
Interact mounts four exhibitions each season, and we work with skilled, experienced volunteers to assist our Gallery and Exhibitions Manager in preparing and installing exhibits. Responsibilities include taking down old shows, prepping walls for the new install (spackling and painting), hanging artwork, and merchandising our Gallery Gift Shop. As well, we can always use volunteers who are skilled in matting and framing work, and in shrink wrapping unframed paintings. Time commitment varies.
Staffing Special Events
If you are not able to commit to a regular weekday volunteer schedule, there are still ways to get involved. Volunteers are essential to help with receptions for Gallery Exhibitions and Theater Openings, as well as our Great Big Holiday Art Sale. Responsibilities may include setting up for the opening and prepping the hospitality table, staffing the table during the opening, welcoming guests, or staffing the sales area. Gallery openings happen four Friday evenings a year, and we have opening night events for our spring and fall theater productions. Give a call to learn when our next opening is taking place!
Partners and People
Some of our Intern and Service Learning partners include Augsburg College, the University of Minnesota, HECUA (the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs), Breck High School, Visitation High School, St. Thomas Academy, and a spectrum of High School Transition Programs for students with disabilities.
In addition to these organizations, individual volunteers who are looking for a way to serve are eagerly welcomed into our program every day, and we encourage you to call for a time to come visit and see how you think you might get involved.
If you are a teacher, student, or community member who would like to learn more, send us an email or give us a call! We’ll set up a time for you to come visit and see what we’re all about, then we’ll take it from there!
Learn more! Call Stephanie Rudd at 612-339-5145, ext 13, or email her directly at stephanie@interactcenter.com.
