The word docent derives from the latin verb docent meaning to teach, to conduct, or to take care of. This guide is easy to read and takes the mystery out of giving tours. Provisional docent classes take place on mondays, 9 a. The handbook is written in accessible language and is both comprehensive and insightful. Our docents are dedicated group of volunteers who provide gallery experiences to museum visitors. He or she should take a serious and professional view of all responsibilities. Rienzi and bayou bend host a history book discussion series about life in. When you volunteer, you are not only providing a service to all the museums visitors, you are also learning a wealth of. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle. Provisional docent training will occur september through december each year, based on new docent interest. Applicants to the program will need to complete an application and interview. Any docent in the program can run for a seat on the council.
Grand ridge elementary offers an enriching art education program to students sponsored by our ptsa. Once a year formal training is arranged, beginning in. Docents entering the training program for fall 2020 commit to leading k12 school tours. Applications for the 202021 docent training program will be accepted until september 7, 2020. Volunteers interested in becoming a docent will need to attend a docent training session in order to prepare them to give guided tours through the exhibits. The mfah book club presents three selections per year. It is not a contract for employment or a guarantee of a continuing relatio nship with the museum.
Docents commit to one year of initial training with museum staff and to two years of giving interactive, interdisciplinary tours. Docent program the parthenon is always looking for outgoing individuals who love art and history to be the exciting link between greek and nashville history, american art, and our community. For example, maybe the production manager says that her workers need to be more efficient and create more units of a product. Materials for volunteer docents the dennos museum center. By its nature, the museum of fine arts, houston, along with its glassell school of art, and its two house museumsbayou bend collection and gardens, and rienziembodies the character of this city through the museums staff, visitors, mission, programs, and collections. After training, be available one day per week wedfri to conduct tours between 10 a. The initial training course can be a personal enrichment experience for the participants. The docent handbook is a practical guide written by docents for docents at all levels of expertise and is applicable to every type of institution. Library of congress seeks volunteer docents eastmans. Volunteers are expected to have some experience working with children in an educational setting, such as a library or classroom. Every time you give a tour you tell a story about what makes the city of holland unique. Docent handbook museum on main street a partnership of the smithsonian institution and. Become a docent the museums docent training program is a continuous twoyear program, with training for new docent candidates beginning every september and january.
A docent is expected to participate in all training sessions throughout the year, prepare for all programs, and carry out all scheduled tours. This handbook describes many of the responsibilities of a docent volunteer and outlines the programs and procedures developed by ihmecs education depa rtment and docent council. Docent council the docent program is developed and managed by the education manager in partnership with the docent council. Docent website also collects anonymous demographic information, which is not unique to you, such as your zip code, age, gender, preferences, interests and favorites. Docents at the harn serve a number of museum audiences through a variety of tour programs. Please fill out this form and we will get in touch with you shortly. Docent website collects personally identifiable information, such as your email address, name, home or work address or telephone number. After training, attend monthly meetings for ongoing training and enrichment.
All applicants should be available during business hours, mondayfriday, for training and leading k12 tours. Museum education can be challenging and a docent s role in it is critical. The training covers the history of art from early greek and roman through european, asian, american, and contemporary art, with a particular focus on the periods and works of art. It is a dynamic resource that successive docents should not only use but continually improve. Becoming a docent is often referred to as habilitation or doctor of science and is an academic evidence that proves that a holder is capable of. Our docent training program will provide the tools needed for volunteers to. This program made me feel more comfortable attendingvisiting museums. Docent training program application harn museum of art.
The docent program is an affiliate organization of the minnesota museum of american art. Emergency phone numbers to call you must call all 3. The young readers center volunteer program is designed for individuals interested in working with children and young adults in a library setting. Applicants selected to be docent candidates are required to complete the docent training course offered by the albrightknox art. However, the best lesson tor museums, historic sites, zoos, botanical gardens, and other such institutions is this the quality of a docent manual is not a function of its cost.
Mission statement the docents of the muscarelle museum of art are dedicated to extending the museums role as an institution devoted to arts education in the community and. Navys environmental and energy initiatives, and meet people from all over the world. They learn through the provisional docent class how to interpret bayou bends collection of objects made or used in america between 1620 and 1876, as well as the historic house and the history of the hogg family. Jan 15, 2016 i started the tourboost workshop to help with tour guide and docent training. As a stewards of the sea sots docent, you will have great opportunities to learn about the u.
Submitted by holly hall, mint museum docent president, 201718 the docent handbook 2, revised 2017, in conjunction with docent training is very meaningful. Our popular program provides a sequential, interactive education in art history and artistic skills. If you are interested in joining the next docent training class scheduled for the fall of 2021 please fill out and submit an online application. Training docent and education docent training docent discussions is held on the third saturday of each month. This publication addresses current concerns and material pertinent to issues now being explored in museums. The docent training program encompasses art history as well as touring. Volunteer opportunities at the museum of fine arts, houston. Bayou bend docents the museum of fine arts, houston. Most smithsonian museums operate docent programs through their public programs or education departments. Our art docent program adp is supported by a volunteer team of many dedicated parents who lead, support and demonstrate handson 60min. After we receive your application, we will call you to make an appointment for your interview. The hotline 415 7502611 where you leave a message 2. The docent council is a group of volunteers comprised of active docents formed to help provide counsel, guidance, and oversight to the docent program. The museum also offers this ebook to the houston independent school district.
Proposed by the american association for museum volunteers aamv november 2011 revised may 2012 the following standards are proposed with the understanding that the diversity of museums and the roles volunteers play within them makes it extremely difficult to propose any single way a volunteer program should function. To receive an application form by mail, interested individuals should call the docent hotline at 310440. Mfah community profile the museum of fine arts, houston. Docent training program application harn museum of art we welcome your application to the harn museum docent program. Educational programs at rienzi seek to inspire all audiences to engage with the collection through a. Docent trainees are required to applicants are required to attend an orientation interview meeting prior to acceptance into program. Our next docent class will focus on leading tours for our largest audience, school students. Programs for educatorsschool groups the museum of fine arts. Fundamentals of chicago architecture this class meets for a full day, once a week for five weeks to discuss chicago architecture and history. Experienced docents will find the the docent handbook a convenient tool in approaching sensitive issues and for training in.
Remember, a docent is not expected to be an expert. All docents at the crocker art museum participate in an extensive training class before becoming activetouring docents. For more information, please call 323 6444702 or send an email to email protected. It was a long way around and heres how i found out this was what i wanted and needed to do. The two mfah house museums host a discussion series about life in america and. Applicants who interview and are accepted into the 202021 docent training program will be able to choose to take the course on saturdays or mondays. Joining the docent program as the program needs to expand our corps of docents the albrightknox will recruit for a new class.
No background is needed but an enthusiasm for the museums subject matter and a. Led by staff and a cadre of volunteer docents, the number of tours is expected to increase when the library debuts its new interactive experience for visitors in april 2008 and the tunnel from the u. The rigorous and ongoing training makes this a longterm volunteer commitment at least 3 years. Volunteer opportunities visiting the library library of. Training will include the background of museum, history. Bayou bend docents are nationally recognized volunteers who provide. We invite you to apply for the honolulu museum of art docent council by completing the online application.
Docents at the mfah the museum of fine arts, houston. Rienzi docent program the museum of fine arts, houston. Docent job description a docent is a guide in a museum who tells people about the objects on display and their meaning. A sourcebook for interpreters, docents, and tour guides alison l. First published in 2001 and revised in 2017, the docent handbook 2 is a valuable resource for docents, guides and interpreters from museums and cultural institutions of all types in the us and canada. A docent is a professional volunteer of the albrightknox art gallerys education department, who is responsible for engaging visitors of all ages with works in the gallerys collection and special exhibitions.
Results advanced search objects the mfah collections. Noback, docent and founding dean of the umkc school of medicine. Introduce staff and docent training as part of art beyond sights annual art beyond sight awareness month. Creating an inexpensive and useful docent manual museumed. Standards and best practices for museum volunteer programs proposed by the american association for museum volunteers aamv november 2011 revised may 2012 the following standards are proposed with the understanding that the diversity of museums and the roles volunteers play within them makes it extremely difficult to propose any single way a. Docents are volunteer teachers who provide group learning experiences in the form of museum tours, demonstrations, or instruction in special activity areas. The docent training program encompasses art history as well as touring methods and techniques, so each docent is fully prepared to facilitate enriching gallery experiences. Most importantly, moms provides community museums and libraries an. School and tours programs tours and training of gallery educators docents and interns teacher professional development. A docent is a guide or lecturer at a museum, art gallery or zoo. Due to the substantial investment in training, new docents are asked to remain in the program. Mfah book club tours are free for mfah members and free with general museum admission for nonmembers.
Not only was he an architect of the docent system, dr. After training is completed, docents must volunteer for either a threehour weekly shift on weekdays, or a threehour shift every other week on evenings and weekends. The training program is a ninemonth learning experience, covering crocker collections, art history, art education, and touring techniques. Both docents and education docents are expected to attend these trainings on. The cougar ridge art docent program is designed through a partnership between the school district and the ptsa and allows children an opportunity to explore their artistic talents. During this time they become part of a vibrant learning community devoted to studying new ways to engage visitors with the museums growing collection and exhibitions. The docent program handbook is provided to inform docent volunteers and potential docent volunteers of the policies and operating procedures of the museum. Docent is also used at some mainly german universities generically for a person who has the right to teach. Topics range from new exhibitions, education tours, collections policy, etc. The purpose of the minnesota museum of american art s docent program is to provide members, guests and visitors of the museum with organized, interpretive tours of museum exhibitions with trained volunteers as tour guides.
You are invited to join the dedicated corps of docents and to discover a world of art. Programs for adults lectures, performances, workshops. After the course work, the docent trainees must lead their boss, ms. Through the intervening years, the lessons i learned while creating that first docent training manual translated well into larger venues with greater budgets.
Our docents create memorable, fun and exciting learning experiences for small groups of school children, university students, and the general public, year round. Francis solano school, sonoma ca working on the perspective lesson for 6th grade. Pick the approach that works best for you and your schedule. Training can be accomplished by docent training classes, docent mentorship program or a combination of the two. Imagine someone at work perceives a problem and thinks a new training program might resolve it. Docent in training application application for the mission inn foundation and museum docent in training program. There are currently 160 docents at the museum leading tours for tens of thousands of visitors every year. This program fills the gap between district funding and the art requirement for elementary students. See our awareness month web site for practical resources, such as certificates for you to download and give to your docents and staff who participate in the training program. The maritime museum of san diego accepts individuals who wish to volunteer as docents at any time. The gardens next docent training course is beginning on september 9. The mfah offers different topics and formats to meet the needs of your students. Museum visitshunts some groups may also choose to walk through or visit the museum without a docent. Each year the library of congress receives more than 1 million visitors eager to view the magnificent thomas jefferson building in washington, d.
Mfah book club tours the museum of fine arts, houston. Docents get involved ncma north carolina museum of art. The department of learning and interpretations at the museum of fine arts, houston will be recruiting and training a new class of docents in fall 2019. Docents at a museum lead tours for children and adults. First published in 2001 and revised in 2017, the docent handbook 2 is a valuable resource for docents, guides and interpreters from museums and. Spanishenglish bilingual skills are helpful, but not required.
It includes a broad look at architecture and techniques for developing and conducting tours. Museum education can be challenging and a docents role in it is critical. Museum membership is required to be accepted in the docent training program. The purpose of the minnesota museum of american arts docent program is to provide members, guests and visitors of the museum with organized, interpretive tours of museum exhibitions with trained volunteers as tour guides. The term is derived from the latin word docens, which is the present active participle of docere to teach, to lecture. The topics discussed will aid new docents and guides in meeting visitors, developing themes, and knowing how to ask the right questions. Covid19 coronavirus disease 2019 fom is suspending our public and guiding activities. It is a stimulating experienc e for both visitors and docents and is an essential part of our museums mission. Docentled tours and special themed tours provide a more indepth. The 14week series of docent training classes will be held from 10 a. The museum offers a wide range of lectures, guided tours, gallery talks, concerts, readings, performances, and symposia throughout the year.
Docents facilitate tours, selecting several works of art on display that they feel best connect with aspects of the featured book. Generally, special training will be held separate from active docents, although provisional docents can and should attend regular meetings. This innovative sourcebook is designed for use by anyone who guides tours or instructs the public in history, art. To receive an application form by mail, interested individuals should call the docent hotline at 3104407231 and leave their name, address, and phone number. Mfah, and contains an extensive collection of books, exhibition catalogues, artist. To access the website for museum docents, register or enter your username and password here. The book club meets alternately at rienzi and bayou bend. Houston has been hailed as americas most diverse city, a reflection of how the nation will look in just a few decades. Programs offer innovative methods to connect art at the mfah with teaching and learning. The grant included the development of an ebook, and tradition and innovation in korean art is now available, free of charge, as a pdf, epub.
At the mfah, our dynamic docent corps helps to create and facilitate conversationbased tours in the museums galleries. Rienzis docent program was established in 1999, the year rienzi opened to the. This program is relevant and responsive to visitors. A docent is a volunteer trained to facilitate learning in the galleries. Bayou bend is open yearround with programs and events for adults, children, and families. Programs for adults the museum of fine arts, houston. Department overview the three main areas of the education and public programs department and its programs are. Docent bylaws the docent program is an affiliate organization of the minnesota museum of american art.
Jun 23, 2016 the 2016 training session for docents will begin on sept. American association for museum volunteers best practices. Many docents come from teaching backgrounds, but the only requirements are an appetite for learning about the arts and sciences along with a readiness to share that learning with students, teachers, and other groups who tour the museum. This handbook provides the concrete resources to being a docent. German, from latin docere, to teach the mha docents are a unique and awardwinning group of volunteers within the history community of charlottemecklenburg. The cma docent program is a lively group of art enthusiasts who enjoy learning and sharing their knowledge of the museums collection with the community. Many tour guides or docents need good common sense advice and direction while they are perfecting their tourgiving skills. Docents are asked to make a threeyear commitment after the end of training. Library of congress seeks volunteer docents library of.
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