What is a Gillie?
A Gillie is a member of the volunteer organization of the Gilcrease Museum. The organization was founded in 1967 and currently has a membership of around 300 dedicated volunteers. Every Gilcrease Museum volunteer must be a member of The Gillies as well as a member of the Thomas Gilcrease Museum Association.
Want to become a Gillie? Email us via this form.

Purpose: The Gillies provide volunteer service to the Museum in various areas of its operation.

People: The Gillies are men and women from varied backgrounds and age groups.

Benefits: The Gillies have the opportunity to volunteer in the premier museum of western American art, to work with beautiful and interesting treasures of the past, to broaden their knowledge in American history and art, and to associate with other people who share the same interests.

What kinds of service do Gillies perform?
The Gillies volunteer in both public and behind-the-scenes areas of the Museum, including:

Public: Docents, Greeter Desk, Speaking of Gilcrease (off-site slide programs for adults), Gilcrease Goes to School (off-site slide programs for students), Kravis Discovery Center Facilitators, Garden Guides, and Museum Shop.

Behind-the-Scene: Anthropology, Art, Research and Archives, Garden Helpers, and Museum Association Office.

What is the time commitment of a Gillie?
A Gillie is required to give 30 museum service hours per year to the Museum. In the first year, interns are required to give only 20 hours of museum service, after finishing their training.

What kind of training is required?
The training, which is conducted by senior Gillies in the classroom and galleries, is a survey of the Gilcrease collection: paintings, sculptures, books, documents, and artifacts. In addition, Museum curators may conduct lectures and tours in their areas. The training sessions usually last from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., two days a week for five weeks. Additional training is required to become a Docent. Some additional training may also be required for other service areas.

When is the training?
Training begins in September. Docent training is scheduled after Gillie training is completed.


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Thinking of interning ?
A variety of internship opportunities exist at Gilcrease for university students. For more information, click here.