Warhol Gallery Attendants

By Jason Fate

In  1999, fourteen Gallery Attendants joined the staff of The Andy Warhol Museum, replacing the familiar security guards found at most museums. Gallery Attendants – or as we refer to them, “GAs” – put a new face on the traditional museum experience for visitors.

Fast forward to 2014: there are now close to 60 GAs currently working on a part-time basis at The Warhol. Since 1999, many former GAs have gone on to successful careers in the arts as museum and gallery professionals, working artists, or advocates for arts funding. In fact, our very first Visitor Services Manager currently oversees Rights and Reproductions for the museum!

The education, skills, and experience of the Visitor Services team are varied and impressive. Many GAs on staff are bilingual, and some are multilingual. Most GAs have formal training in the arts. On staff we currently have fine artists, fashion designers, aspiring curators, artist educators, musicians, dancers, actors, graphic designers, filmmakers, sculptors, animators… and the list goes on! All have either been inspired – or at the very least influenced – by Warhol.

GAs safeguard the artwork and give visitors information about the museum’s galleries and facilities. They also act as liaisons to the museum’s exhibitions, curatorial and educational departments. The staff are trained in the museum’s history, mission, permanent collections, and in customer service. Being a Warhol Gallery Attendant is a great way to see how a large museum operates while making a substantial contribution to the arts and legacy of Andy Warhol!

If you are interested in becoming a Warhol Gallery Attendant click here to find listings on The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh employment page!