The mission of the gallery guide program is to facilitate visitors’ personal discoveries about art and encourage dialogue aimed at strengthening their skills to approach art independently.

Become a gallery guide and get involved behind the scenes at the Frye Art Museum. Gallery guides give tours to K–12 groups, university students, and the general public. Each year, recruitment runs May–July, interviews occur in August, and training on exhibitions and tour techniques occurs in September.

Training Expectations

• Attend a one-week intensive training in September (thirty hours training).
• Training sessions will focus practicing touring techniques and teaching methods and learning about the Frye Art Museum collections and special exhibitions. Outside preparation time for this one-week intensive training will be approximately fifteen hours.
• Observe three tours by the end of October and write your reflections of these tours (six hours).
• Complete one practice tour that will be observed by the Manager of Student and Teacher Programs (three hours).
• Attend monthly training sessions for each special exhibition as well as gallery guide meetings after the initial week of training (six to eight hours per quarter).
• Prepare to tour exhibitions outside of training sessions (twelve hours per quarter).

Touring Expectations

After completion of training, the gallery guide will give two school or public tours each month, for a total of twelve hours each quarter.

• School tours are offered Tuesday–Thursday from 10 am to 12 pm. Gallery guides are expected to be at the Frye on the day of their tour from 9:30 am to 12:15 pm in order to prepare tour materials.
• Public tours are offered Wednesday–Sunday at 1 pm. Gallery guides are expected to be at the Frye from 1 to 2 pm unless a private tour is scheduled at 2 pm.
• Private tours are offered from 2 to 3 pm. Gallery Guides are expected to stay from 2 to 3 pm if there is a private tour scheduled.

Gallery Guide Benefits

Gallery guides enjoy these benefits:

• Continuing education on the Frye collections and special exhibitions
• FRYE magazine delivered to your home
• Free parking during volunteer shift
• A 15% discount in the Gallery Café
• A 15% discount in the Museum Store
• Inclusion in the Museum's annual participation in National Volunteer Week in April
• Annual volunteer recognition reception

Photo: Jill Hardy