Volunteer

Welcome! We are thrilled to connect passionate individuals like you with meaningful opportunities to support and uplift Charlotte’s vibrant arts and cultural community. At ASC, our mission is to inspire and strengthen the region through arts, science, history, and heritage—building a more inclusive, creative, and thriving community for all.

By volunteering with us, you’re not only helping bring our mission to life; you’re becoming an essential part of a movement that champions creativity, fuels local talent, and fosters connections across all corners of our community. Thank you for considering volunteer opportunities with ASC and recognizing the profound impact your time, skills, and passion can make.

A little bit about us

The Arts & Science Council (ASC) is a cultural organization that has been supporting local and regional creatives, fostering community engagement through arts, sciences and culture, in and around the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area for more than 60 years.

We are, first and foremost, a RESOURCE to and champion of the artistic community of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. We are an artist support hub offering capacity building opportunities, grants, resources, and arts education programming to artists of all mediums and community members who advocate for the arts. We are also an ADVOCATE and FUNDER, leading the charge to promote local culture and making tangible investments in community programs, cultural education, and in creatives and their sustainability.

Investment in Action

Through our funding and grant programs, we support the creation of various types of art, the fulfillment of art installations around the Charlotte area, and sponsorship of arts education in CMS schools from kindergarten through high school. Some of your favorite annual, local events are likely sponsored by the Arts & Science Council. This includes (but is not limited to) festivals like Taste of India, Charlotte Pride, Latin Heritage Festival; school field trips to local art institutions like the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture, the Mint Museum; Artist Support Grants, Founder’s Grants, and Leadership Development opportunities.

Launching our first-ever Volunteer Program gives us the opportunity to not only have the support of so many fellow arts advocates and ASC supporters, but it also helps us connect more deeply and engage directly with our community members! Below are the ASC departments with brief descriptions, offering diverse and exciting volunteer opportunities throughout the year:

Culture Blocks

A program dedicated to supporting by-community-for-community events across Charlotte-Mecklenburg including festivals, workshops, classes, and performances, and enrichment programs.

• festival/event setup and breakdown
• event registration and sign-in
• artist support (helping artists set up, directing them to the right location, answering questions, etc.)

Community Engagement & Storytelling

This department functions to do the storytelling of the Arts + Science Council’s mission, vision, and values, informing community members, candidates, and elected officials of the ongoing work our organization does locally and its far-reaching impacts.

• attending local community townhalls
• sharing vital information on the work and impact of the Arts & Science Council
• informing community members of candidates and elected officials invested in the arts and/or the mission of the Arts & Science Council
• collect helpful information about community questions and/or interests to be shared with ASC staff

Philanthropy

Focuses on raising necessary funds to continue supporting ASC’s overall function and strengthen the foundation needed to create new, innovative programming for local/regional artists and their supporters.

• event planning committee (helping with fundraiser event planning for annual events)

Public Art

Responsible for much of the stunning sculptural works that can be seen across Charlotte, working in close relationship with selected artists throughout an (approximately) 2 to 3-year process to install their work in a designated community.

• planning and facilitating tours of the Uptown area sculptures for small group

FAQs

How Much Time Do I Have to Commit?

While time commitments will depend on the department(s) you may be interested in volunteering with, on average, we recommend volunteers commit to approximately 2-8 hours per month (the maximum being 10 hours in a single month).

How Old Do You Need to Be to Volunteer?

At this time, volunteering opportunities are limited to adults 18 and older. However, we are planning for our first ever Youth Volunteer Program, to be launched in the very near future. Stay tuned!

Tell Me More About the Volunteer Fair…

Our quarterly Volunteer Fairs are informational events that offer prospective volunteers better insight into our organization and the wide range of volunteer opportunities available to them. It is a time for interested community members to ask questions about our community programs as well as the volunteer program itself. Additionally, the Volunteer Fair is the time that prospective volunteers can learn more about the ins and outs of each department’s volunteering logistics and learn how to sign up for their first event(s).

When Is the Next Volunteer Fair?

Our Volunteer Opportunity Fairs run on a quarterly basis. Please contact Sasha Banks at sasha.banks@artsandscience.org to be notified of the next one.

Board Member Participation

Board Members are required to commit to a minimum of 6 hours of volunteerism per quarter. Additionally, members will be asked to serve 1 term on our event committee planning for either our Spring or Summer fundraiser.