The Art Museum of WVU is seeking its next class of docents. Volunteer docents give tours of the museum’s exhibitions to a variety of audiences from prekindergarten to adults. Without them, the museum would not be able to serve the thousands of visitors who come as part of groups throughout the year.
The Museum uses an inquiry-based approach to looking at art, which requires both docents and tour-goers to ask questions rather than recite facts. During training, prospective docents will learn more about how to use inquiry in the museum setting. They will also gain information about upcoming exhibitions and artists that will broaden their knowledge of a range of artistic styles and movements. They will then practice combining these artistic knowledge and inquiry-based learning to plan their own trajectories through the museum’s galleries.
Docent meetings occur approximately twice a month throughout the academic year on Monday afternoons from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.. In addition, docents sign up to lead tours as they are scheduled. While there is no specific requirement for number of tours given, a docent can expect to lead at least ten tours in a year.
Anyone interested in joining the docent program is encouraged to attend one of two informational sessions held at the museum from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. today (Aug. 26) , or 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28. For more information, contact Heather Harris, heather.harris@mail.wvu.edu or 304.293.5267.