My Volunteer Story: Carly Wolowich

Happy National Volunteer Week! We’re back with a volunteer profile: meet Carly Wolowich. Carly mainly works in exhibit development and curatorial areas; if you’ve visited the museum, you may have experienced an exhibit she’s worked on!

National Volunteer Week 2022

TRM volunteers connect visitors to Toronto’s railway past through all they do, whether it’s working on archival projects, advising on restoration work, or sitting on various committees. We’re celebrating volunteers that bring heart to their communities with Volunteer Canada. Volunteer Week recognizes Canada’s millions of volunteers whose empathy, compassion, and generosity connect people to their communities, including the more than 80 amazing Toronto Railway Museum volunteers.

Hi Carly! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello! I am Carly Wolowich and I have been a volunteer with the Toronto Railway Museum for over a year now. Throughout the completion of my studies in the Master of Museum Studies program at the University of Toronto, I focused my research on how to implement community-centered practices in art galleries and their collections. My time working in various cultural institutions in Toronto has furthered my passion to create accessible environments that foster reciprocal and equitable conversations within gallery and museum spaces.

How did you first hear about volunteering at TRM? How did you get involved?

I had first heard of the TRM as a student. The Toronto Railway Museum often offers the valuable opportunity for emerging professionals to work on exhibitions for the museum. However, it was not until after I graduated that I applied for a volunteer position. Mike Bedford, TRM volunteer coordinator, quickly worked with me to ensure I found a fulfilling position within the museum that best utilized my skills. I have been volunteering with the TRM ever since.

Tell us about your work! What was your most recent volunteer project? What did you have to do to accomplish it? 

I had the pleasure of working as a volunteer curator for the George Paginton: Life and Work exhibition. Most recently, I have been assisting with an upcoming digital TRM exhibition focusing on railway workers. For this project, I carefully listen to audio recordings and read accounts from various railway workers. I then select clips and excerpts to be included in the exhibition, ensuring first-hand accounts from the perspectives of those who worked on the railway are included. Through this work, I have quickly come to understand the dedication and expertise of railway workers, which is something I hope we highlight in the upcoming exhibition.

Why do you volunteer at the Toronto Railway Museum?

Before volunteering with the TRM I knew very little about trains and locomotives, yet they were part of my daily life. Soon after I began volunteering, I learnt the incredible history of the Toronto railway and was eager to share these stories with others, who like me, were previously unaware. The TRM’s continued passion to engage with the community and preserve and share an integral part of Toronto’s past is something I greatly admire and am so grateful to be a part of. 

We appreciate everything you do, Carly! If you haven’t visited George Pagington: Life and Work (or you want to check it out again!), the exhibit runs through the summer. Thanks for following along this National Volunteer Week! If you missed it, you can read Mek Abamba’s volunteer story and Doug Magee’s volunteer story on the blog. Don’t forget to join us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to see what our volunteers are up to.