Wanted: People of all ages and backgrounds to serve as docents for the Art Center, to lead elementary school students on gallery tours and support hands-on art activities. No experience necessary, will train. Must be committed to fun, exploration, and learning!
The aforementioned description summarizes what the Art Center is looking for as recruitment is now underway throughout the summer for docents to lead Project Look tours for K-8th grade students from local schools.
“Our docents get a lot out of volunteering,” says Director of Volunteer Engagement Grace Pegan Abusharkh. “For instance, docents are trained in inquiry-based touring methods—or learning how to look at art by asking open-ended questions—which can be applied towards other forms of teaching.”
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Docents are also in a privileged position at the Art Center, because they have the opportunity to go behind the scenes and participate in exhibition walk-throughs with the curator, says Abusharkh.
“Everyone trains together and gets to know one another,” says Manager of School and Teacher Programs Shae Iwasaki. “A sense of community is created, and it’s a good opportunity to learn in a supportive environment.”
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In addition, the program engages docents as active participants in the development of tours and projects.
New docents will participate in three mandatory training sessions on gallery tour procedures at the beginning of the school year, in September. Docents then commit to conducting at least one tour a week. Tours are scheduled Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 12:15 p.m., from September through May.
Carol Gilbert, who has served as a volunteer docent for the past 12 years, says that the children who participate in the tours are fun to be with and raise her spirits.
“If you love art and you love children, you are just right for the job,” she says. “The people in charge will provide you with great training and resources. And you always have the latitude to change things through your input.”
The Art Center currently boasts 21 active docents, who lead more than 5,000 students on tour throughout the school year. Over the past year, docents have volunteered more than 675 hours of their time to Project Look tours and training.
“We also have extracurricular events for the docents,” says Abusharkh. “We have a holiday gathering and an art-related filed trip for the whole group. We really appreciate their donation of time and effort!”
For more information about becoming a docent and the training program in September, contact Grace Pegan Abusharkh at grace.abusharkh@cityofpaloalto.org, call 650.617.3520, or visit the Art Center web site at http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/csd/artcenter/getinvolved/overview/docent.asp.
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