Fee Assistance and Volunteering

Side Rail is dedicated to cultivating a supportive inclusive space for creative ideas and pursuits while offering the community a no-commission and low fee environment to share their ideas and work. In order to sufficiently cover the amount of time and energy put into organizing, curating, promoting, and hanging your work, while also honoring the education, experience, and capacity of our members, we do charge a hanging fee. We encourage all prospective artists and makers to self asset their need of assistance, and invite those with sufficient financial means to donate what feels comfortable. We currently offer two forms of Fee Assistance:

  • Side Rail offers the opportunity for participants to volunteer 2-4 hours of gallery sitting for 50-100% of the hanging fee cost. Gallery hours will generally be on Saturdays from 12 - 4pm, with some exceptions. There will be a limited number of opportunities available. Interested individuals should make note of this request and time amount on their applications/at time of submission. 

  • Side Rail offers those who identify with the following statements a fee reduction of $5-$10.

    • I regularly stress about meeting my basic needs such as food, housing, & transportation and I am not always able to achieve them.

    • I identify at LGBTQUIA+, BIPOC, Neurodivergent, Disabled, or another marginalized group which affects my standard of living.

    When submitting your payment please note your discounted $ amount.

Volunteer and Learn at Side Rail Gallery

The gallery manager is looking for motivated individules to add to our volunteer roster who want to help keep Side Rail Gallery open to the public!

  • Gallery sit for 2-4 hours on Saturday’s between 12 and 4pm

    • Volunteer will have access to the space during sitting hours but must prioritize overseeing the gallery space when visitors are around.

    • Reduced or waved show fee’s if vounteering for more than 4hrs

    • Spots may be limited and will rely on a first come bases.

  • Hang show fliers in your favorite locations in and around seattle!

    • As a small comunity space we rely on people getting the word out that we have great shows going on and grow our little comunity.

    • We will send you fliers via USPS or save us the stamps and pick up some fliers when your in!

  • Learn Gallery Operations in exchange for 2-4 hours of gallery sitting

    • Individuals wanting to learn more about gallery operations will shadow the gallery manager on a topic of your interest: installation, gallery wall preperations, and other important tasks.

Use the sign up form to email the gallery team with your interest and we will work something out!

Learn more about Essa Baird our gallery manager