Get Involved with the Museum

Looking to share your love of textiles with others?

There are many ways to get involved with the Textile Museum of Canada. Visit exhibitions, attend programs, become a member, or apply to be a volunteer, intern or staff member to further support the Museum’s mission.

Get Involved

01. Volunteering

Our 150+ volunteers are essential to the Museum’s organizational culture.

Volunteers give their time and talent to help create an inclusive, innovative and passionate environment. Volunteer benefits include joining a nurturing and positive community, developing relationships with people with shared interests, and annual appreciation events hosted by the Museum. 

Want to Volunteer? 

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at the Textile Museum of Canada! We are currently accepting applications for the Retail, Reception and Maker teams – please follow the link below to apply!

Volunteering

Volunteer Teams

Our Volunteer Teams work in many areas of the Museum. They prioritize our visitors’ experience, engage people from around the world in conversation, assist with fundraising activities, and foster learning through the Museum’s collection.

Reception volunteers play a critical role in shaping a visitor’s experience at the Textile Museum of Canada. They create a welcoming, helpful environment where visitors feel comfortable and engaged. They are knowledgeable about the space, history and policies of the Museum. 

Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of two shifts per month. 

Reception volunteers sit at the reception desk, located in the lobby of the Museum. This is a wheelchair-accessible space.  

Requirements
  • Volunteers are required to follow the Museum’s COVID-19 safety guidelines, and must be fully vaccinated to attend onsite shifts.  
  • Experience with computers and iPads 
  • Some prior experience in a public-facing role 
  • Must keep up-to-date on Museum exhibitions and activities by participating in virtual or onsite tours, and through communications from the Public Engagement Department. 

Retail volunteers support the Museum’s mandate by providing a welcoming atmosphere in the Museum Shop. They handle sales, restock inventory, support the online Shop by packaging items, and engage customers in conversation. 

Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of two shifts per month. 

Volunteers sit/stand at the sales desk, located in the Shop. This is a wheelchair-accessible space. 

Requirements
  • Volunteers are required to follow the Museum’s COVID-19 safety guidelines, and must be fully vaccinated to attend onsite shifts. 
  • Volunteers are required to have experience and be comfortable using iPads.  
  • Volunteers ideally should have some prior experience in retail. Cash handling experience is an asset.  
  • Volunteers should have customer service experience and feel comfortable interacting with the public.   

Gallery Guide volunteers support the Education department by fulfilling School Visits and Group Tour programming for school groups, organizations, private bookings and other groups.

For details on all of the Museum’s School Visits and Group Tour offerings and to get a sense of the content that Gallery Guides deliver, visit textilemuseum.ca/visit/#tour 

Requirements

  • Some prior experience in a public-facing role.  
  • Comfortable with public speaking and engaging discussion.  
  • Expected to follow program guidelines as provided by Education staff and tailor content to suit the needs of School Visits and Group Tour participants.   

Textile Reuse Program volunteers manage textile donations to the Museum. They process and sort fabric donated to the Museum and ensure that quality control and pest prevention standards are met. Along with reference to the Museum’s Fabric Identification Guide, they use their knowledge of textiles to sort fabric, crafting materials and notions into various categories for sale. They welcome visitors into the Reuse Program and engage them in the reuse process. 

Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of two shifts per month. Volunteers support in the Museum’s Learning Hub, located on the 2nd floor.  

Requirements

  • Volunteers are required to follow the Museum’s COVID-19 safety guidelines, and must be fully vaccinated to attend onsite shifts.  
  • Should have interest in learning how to operate a sewing machine and iron, and feel comfortable providing support for visitors’ use of this equipment after training. 
  • Should be able to process sales with an iPad after some training. 
  • Should feel comfortable engaging with visitors, in-depth textile knowledge is not a requirement. 
  • Interest in making, sustainability issues, reuse, upcycling appreciated. 

The Maker Team support the Museum’s sustainability mandate by sewing re-usable fabric packaging, fabric masks and assembling craft kits. The Maker Team creates items to be sold in the Museum Shop, or assemble craft kits for sale or fundraisers. Materials are provided by the Museum. This team helps the Museum reduce the amount of packaging waste and upcycle donated fabrics.   

Volunteers can either participate remotely or sew onsite using the Museum’s sewing machines. 

 

Requirements

  • Volunteers are required to follow the Museum’s COVID-19 safety guidelines, and must be fully vaccinated to attend onsite shifts.  
  • Access to sewing machine   
  • Past experience with sewing is preferred, but beginners are also welcome  
  • Please be advised we are unable to provide training for this role. Volunteers must have basic knowledge of sewing and access to a sewing machine. Volunteers can use their own material (100% cotton or cotton blends), or the Museum can provide materials (including elastic and Textile Museum fabric tags), available for pick up or sent by mail. We also provide patterns.   

  

02. Jobs

Our staff possess a wide range of skills and interests from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds. Full-and part-time opportunities include roles related to exhibitions and programs, administration, visitor services and more.

The Textile Museum of Canada is an equal opportunity employer. Respect, accountability, and a generous manner towards others are requirements for all staff.

Current Openings

Head Curator

Permanent, Full-Time

The Textile Museum of Canada has a long history of work in support of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)—in programming, exhibitions, and education (examples of this work are available here). It is within this context that the Museum invites
nominations and applications for the role of Head Curator, a position that will have an indelible impact on the future of the organization.

The next Head Curator will lead the artistic vision of the Textile Museum of Canada, leveraging their professional curatorial experience in developing exhibitions in public institutions to enhance the Museum’s profile in Canada and internationally. They will be integral in helping to build the Museum’s Strategic Plan, acting as a researcher, storyteller, connector, writer, programmer, and mentor as well as making use of their experience working with diverse communities and supporting artists from communities historically underrepresented in the museum sector. The Head Curator will respond to current issues and plan exhibitions and programs that engage broader interest and promote repeat visitation and participation. Reporting to the Director and CEO, they will be part of a collaborative leadership team that represents the Museum as ambassadors and advocates. Day-to-day, the Head Curator will manage curatorial and learning staff and contractors, as well as project staff to support artistic efforts and activities related to exhibitions and programs. They will also participate in the development and ongoing review of institutional policies pertinent to all aspects of collection and curatorial activities, education programs, and human resources.

Internships

03. Internships

The Museum offers a limited number of unpaid and paid internships to students interested in exploring careers in the cultural sector; paid internships are offered in partnership with programs like Young Canada Works and OCADU Career Launcher. See our current openings here, or submit expressions of interest for a customized placement throughout the year.
a customized placement.

Please send your letter of interest (indicating the type of experiences or area of work that interests you) along with a copy of your resume to hrsearch@textilemuseum.ca. Indicate that you are applying for an internship and include details of any academic requirements.