Volunteers uplift and empower our organization. Their support is pivotal to making our exhibitions, events, education courses, and other programming possible.
We’re grateful for our incredible volunteer team and the time, energy, and passion they share.
Take some time to meet a few of our volunteers and look out for
them the next time you visit our contemporary art gallery!
Benjamin Boss (he/him)
What drew you to Cultivate? Why did you become a volunteer?
I was drawn to Cultivate because of its emphasis on community. Over the past year I've been following along its journey on Instagram and when I saw their call for volunteers I jumped at the opportunity to get involved. Being a self-taught artist I love that Cultivate provides opportunities for those wanting to learn new artistic skills and also resources for emerging and established working artists. Grand Rapids has a thriving and growing art scene and I see Cultivate as both filling a need and playing an important role in it.
What have you enjoyed most about volunteering with Cultivate so far?
I've only been a volunteer for a short time but I've enjoyed getting to know the people behind Cultivate and being able to help in any way I can.
How do you practice or participate in art? Tell us about your work or the mediums you enjoy.
Several years ago I picked up a paint brush and gave a go at it and to my surprise I wasn't half bad. It developed from a Sunday hobby to an obsession. During the pandemic I committed more of my time and effort to my artistic practice. I began displaying my paintings in gallery shows and publications, built a website, and started selling to collectors from across the country. I'm still learning a lot, and failing along the way, but I'm proud of my journey and my work. In addition to being an artist I am a librarian at Kendall College of Art & Design, so I'm around art all of the time and an amazing collection of art books. I find so much inspiration there and I try to take some of that creative energy back to my studio.
Connect with Benjamin and learn more about his work:
Website: benjaminboss.com
Instagram: @benjamin.boss.art
Eric Osborne (he/him)
What drew you to Cultivate? Why did you become a volunteer?
The first time I heard about Cultivate was through Instagram. I've always wanted to learn to draw but there aren't always a lot of in-person opportunities with a teacher. That accessibility of education really stood out to me and made me feel like Cultivate would be a great place to learn. I decided to volunteer with Cultivate because I wanted to help Cultivate bring art to more people's lives the way they've brought it into mine.
What have you enjoyed most about volunteering with Cultivate so far?
Volunteering with Cultivate has been great, it's given me the opportunity to meet new people with the same interests and share our different ideas. I've been able to talk to many new people about art and learn their different perspectives of what art can do for people and the community.
How do you practice or participate in art? Tell us about your work or the mediums you enjoy.
I started keeping a sketchbook when I was in college and today it's the most common place I find myself drawing. As far as mediums go I've always been a fan of ink drawing, but since I started learning through Cultivate, I've been exploring different mediums like
graphite and charcoal and trying to push myself and my skills further.
The Cultivate volunteer program offers many opportunities to get involved, and volunteering is a great way to gain experience in the arts, make new friends, and support your local art community.
If you’re interested in joining our volunteer team, complete our short application. Please reach out to our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@cultivategrandrapids.org with any questions.
Comments