Submitted by Whatcom Museum
The Whatcom Museum is looking for new docents to lead tours of exhibitions, beginning this fall. Docents are volunteer educators and ambassadors for the museum, leading 50 minute tours for museum visitors in the Lightcatcher galleries. Docents research and develop informative, interactive tours to engage adult audiences in a conversation about the art on exhibit.
“Our volunteer docents contribute many hours of their time and knowledge to provide this important service to museum patrons,” said Marilyn Burns, Docent Educator. “Without their valuable skills and research, the museum would not be able to provide community members with such a personal experience.”
Museum docents study all aspects of art, from individual artists to artistic styles to elements or principles of art. They also conduct research, master the art of tour development, and hone their public speaking skills. Docents must commit to at least one year of service to the museum, and will prepare and lead between10 to 20 public and private tours annually. Initial training takes about three months with weekday sessions lasting from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Additional workshops precede each new exhibition.
In return docents enjoy the intellectual challenge of researching and developing tours, exercising their public speaking skills, providing a valuable service to the community, and associating with a stimulating group of people who appreciate art too.
Fall training begins September 10 and concludes November 17. New docents will begin touring the exhibition, Chipping the Block, Painting the Silk: The Color Prints of Norma Bassett Hall after Christmas. For more information on how to become a docent, contact Marilyn Burns by August 14th at 360-778-8939 or mlburns@cob.org.
