When Visitor Experience Manager Kiaan Van Dusseldorp started at the M in August 2023, they had three months to build a volunteer program before the museum opened to visitors for the first time since closing for Covid in March 2020. “It’s fun to look back now––we had 27 volunteers in November 2023 when Hazel Belvo: For Love opened, and now we’re at 80 active volunteers. In total, roughly 150 people have volunteered at the M since November 2023,” Van Dusseldorp says.  

Building a volunteer program from scratch was a huge undertaking, but Van Dusseldorp took the task in stride. “It was really challenging but really rewarding. I had to learn so much about the museum right when I started in order to pitch it to people: that it’d be fun to spend your time here,” they say.  

Van Dusseldorp’s intentional development of a volunteer program has built a sense of community and draws on volunteers’ strengths. They explain, “People volunteer to fulfill a need in their life. I want to help them align with that.” Van Dusseldorp encourages volunteers to share the specific topic areas that spark their interests. Maybe it’s the M’s collection, giving tours, or learning more about museum operations. “I always like to tell people that if there’s a way that this could be a better fit for you, just let me know, because I want to make that happen for you. I want to give you an opportunity to expand,” Van Dusseldorp says.  

Now that the program is up and running, Van Dusseldorp reaps the benefit of creating a strong community among the volunteers. “We all have inherent love and joy of art. That’s such a big reason why we’re all here. I get to talk about art all day if I want to! That’s delightful. Building a community for the volunteers and also getting to be part of that community myself is just not something I expected,” Van Dusseldorp adds.  

The M’s mission to inspire understanding of identities, experiences, and complex truths through American art is at the heart of the volunteer program. “We want to make sure that we’re representing our direct communities in the galleries, and that doesn’t look like just one person. It’s so important that not only does everyone see themselves on the walls, but that they feel welcome every time they’re here,” Van Dusseldorp says.  

In particular, the M’s focus on Minnesotan artists brings a lot of enthusiasm from volunteers. “The art that’s here is by people from this region. It’s so specific and people can really relate to that. There’s an inherent understanding of where the artists are from and it builds common understanding,” Van Dusseldorp says.  

The volunteer program is made up of a variety of people who dedicate their free time and energy to the M. In addition to many retired folks, there are quite a few college students showing up, too. “It’s really exciting because people in that age range are trying to see where they align once they graduate and get a good idea of where they want to go professionally. I was in their shoes not that long ago, so seeing young adults, artists, and college students have their first museum experience at the M is really exciting,” Van Dusseldorp says. 

If volunteering at the M sounds fun to you, fill out the volunteer interest form at mmaa.org/join-give/volunteer/