Summer Student – Art Gallery (4 vacancies)

City of Woodstock, Ontario; Woodstock; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A municipal organization in Oxford County is seeking summer students for various positions at the local art gallery. Roles include Front Desk Assistant, Curatorial/Collections Assistant, Art Instructor, and Assistant Art Instructor. Candidates should have a minimum of Grade 10 and be returning to secondary or post-secondary education. Ideal applicants are proficient in Microsoft Office, possess excellent customer relations skills, and have experience working with children. The positions are unionized, offer a competitive salary, and foster an inclusive community environment.

Benefits

Inclusive workplace

Training opportunities

Qualifications

• Returning to secondary or post-secondary school.
• Standard First Aid, CPR/AED is an asset.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision.

Responsibilities

• Welcomes visitors and assists with daily operations at the Gallery.
• Plans and delivers summer art classes for children.
• Assists in organizing and developing exhibitions.

Skills

Microsoft Office proficiency

Customer relations skills

Experience working with children

Education

Minimum Grade 10

Tools

Database management

Job description

Summer Students – Art Gallery (4 vacancies)

Reporting to: Director/Curator – Art Gallery

Department: Art Gallery

Classification: Summer Student; Unionized

Salary Range: $17.37 - $24.32

Starting Date: Front Desk & Curatorial/Collections: May 4, 2026

Art Instructor: May 4, 2026

Assistant Art Instructor: June 29, 2026

Application Deadline: No later than 4:00pm January 23, 2026

Why Woodstock?

The City of Woodstock is a rapidly growing city at the heart of Oxford County. When you work for the City you get to be part of an incredible team of dedicated people with a range of skills and experiences to share. Our team works together to help build a strong, connected community where people have access to the services they need, while enjoying a relaxed lifestyle.

Job Summary

As the region’s only public art gallery, the Woodstock Art Gallery fosters the wellbeing of our community by preserving our local artistic heritage and cultivating new expressions and experiences of art. The Woodstock Art Gallery offers a variety of different work experiences in an active, inclusive, and encouraging environment. Students are given many responsibilities and opportunities to learn and develop and receive a solid foundation in the operations of an innovative municipal gallery. The following positions are available.

Front Desk Assistant: welcomes visitors to the Gallery and assists with processing memberships, gift shop sales, social media, special events and daily operations.

Curatorial/Collections Assistant: assists in the organization, research, and development of exhibitions and works directly with Collections staff.

Art Instructor: will plan, develop, and deliver summer art classes for children ages 4–12, create accessible self‑directed Open Studio drop‑in activities for families, and help facilitate community events such as Oxford Pride Family Day, Streetfest, and the Love Downtown Woodstock Pop‑up Market.

Assistant Art Instructor: supports the Education Department in delivering camps, classes, field trips, guided tours, and events for children ages 4–12; assists with accessible free Open Studio Drop‑ins and community events (e.g., Oxford County Pride Family Day, Streetfest); and handles operational tasks including supply inventory tracking, budgeting, and a Summer Analysis report, ensuring programs align with current exhibitions and the Ontario Curriculum.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Minimum Grade 10 and must be returning to a secondary or post‑secondary school
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Knowledge of database management
• Experience dealing with retail transactions, research, writing and photography
• Standard First Aid, CPR/AED an asset
• Excellent customer relations skills
• Experience working with children
• Ability to work with minimum supervision
• Must be able to attend mandatory Orientation Training

Preferred:

• Interest in Art History or Studio Art an asset

Working Conditions

• Scheduled 35‑hour work week, which will include weekends and alternate shift hours
• May be required to work overtime
• Duties will vary based on the qualifications of the successful applicant

Additional Information

• Applicants will be required to rank the positions based on their level of interest when applying online.
• Interviews will begin in February 2025. The anticipated start date for the positions is May 6, 2025, for the Front Desk Assistant and Curatorial/Collections Assistant positions and June 30, 2025, for the Assistant Art Instructors positions. All positions have an end date of August 23, 2025

The City of Woodstock is committed to diversity and inclusivity in employment and welcomes applications from qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds. We embrace equity, diversity, justice, inclusion and belonging and we’re committed to building a team that represents many backgrounds, perspectives and skills, representative of the communities we serve. The more inclusive we are, the better our work and workplace will be. We are committed to creating a workplace where people experience meaningful work, a sense of hope and optimism, an environment of trust, and inspired results. If this sounds like an environment in which you would like to work, apply here today! We strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals, especially those who can provide different perspectives and contribute to a further diversification of ideas.

Please note: Immediate family member, as per City of Woodstock Nepotism Policy, HR‑015, shall not be employed in the City of Woodstock in any capacity under the following circumstances, but not limited to wherein the family member is in a supervisory or management capacity or responsible for the work of the individual or the department. A conflict of interest must be declared to the Director of Human Resources as outlined in the City of Woodstock Nepotism Policy, HR‑015 as soon as it has been identified.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Ontario Human Rights Code, the City of Woodstock will provide accommodations throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities. If selected to participate in the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process, please inform the City’s Human Resources staff of the nature of any accommodation(s) that you may require in respect of any materials or processes used to ensure your equal participation by contacting [e-mail]. In accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information & Protection of Personal Privacy Act, personal information collected will only be used for candidate selection. Human Resources will work together with the hiring committee to arrange reasonable and appropriate accommodation for the selection process which will enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.

We invite all qualified applicants to submit their resume and cover letter via online at https://cityofwoodstock.applytojob.com/.

We thank all candidates who apply but advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.