Love of Art Leads Teacher to Museum Position

Robin Clem has always been fascinated in the study of fine arts, and chose that major when she attended Marymount Manhattan College. But more so than the work itself, Clem mostly enjoyed being so nearby the many museums that New York City has to offer and would visit as often as possible in between classes.

Now, she has taken that passion to another level.

Every other Sunday, Clem is a tour guide at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a prestigious position that requires more than just a casual knowledge of painting and sculpture.

“I went through almost two years of training and tons of research before I was allowed to give a tour on my own,” said Clem, who lives in Hasbrouck Heights and is a second-grade teacher at Corpus Christi School.

Her first “solo” was on Jan. 28.

“I was a little nervous but by then I was prepared,” she said.

All the training, however, wasn’t as rigorous as the application process itself, she explained. The museum only fills the positions for a docent (what a guide in a museum or art gallery is called) as the need arises. Clem was too late in filing an application the first time, so she had to wait three years before trying again. The initial screening was intense, she said, and included a written portion on why she wanted the position. An hour-long phone interview followed, then an in-person meeting with museum personnel. Finally, an acceptance letter arrived several months later.

By the way, Clem added, being a docent is a volunteer position.

“None of us get paid but I truly love it,’ she said, adding that each docent chooses 10 items he or she would like to include on the tour, which requires museum approval before going forth. And, of course, the docent needs to be an ace on each object.

Clem’s tour includes objects from different periods and cultures, including “Eros Sleeping” from ancient Greece, a sculpture from African Congo society called the “Mangaaka Power Figure,” a modern art painting, and a Bernini statue entitled “Faun Being Teased by Children.”

“I talk a little about composition and how each piece was made, but I also focus on the story behind each piece, and the culture that influenced it,” Clem said. The tours, which typically last about an hour, require Clem to speak about 4-5 minutes on each object.

“For each of those 4 or 5 minutes, I must have 50 pages of research,” Clem said, adding that it’s a continual learning process.

“The museum is the size of three football fields in area, has two levels, and holds more than 2 million objects from more than 5,000 years of history,” she said, noting that it’s not humanly possible to be knowledgeable on everything in the Met, which she referred to as an encyclopedia museum.

Clem is currently doing additional research on the subject of “arms and armor,” which she hopes will be her next tour focus.

“I have to study for about a year and then be approved to give a collection tour on that topic,” she said. “But I love being there, and I love learning so it’s definitely worth all the work.”

Spoken like a true teacher.

One last note: Clem recommends taking a tour for anyone visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art (www.metmuseum.org).

“The tours are free with the price of admission, and it’s really the best way to see the museum,” she said.