National Docents Symposium Council

Interchange

New Articles in the Series (August 2018)

Wanda Nanibush, AGO Curator, Canadian and Indigenous Art, and Garry Sault, Elder, Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. Inclusion and Diversity - Creating space for multiple and diverse voices

Cultural institutions across North America are working to diversify their audiences and become more inclusive and welcoming places for everyone. The role of the docent or guide is becoming more dynamic. We hope that these articles will provide you with ideas and examples on the training, touring and engagement skills required in this new vision of a cultural place.

New Articles about Inclusion and Diversity Initiatives:

Building Empathy Through Art - Michelle Carpenter, a docent at the Phoenix Art Museum and NDSC Regional Director, shares her experience at a workshop regarding what empathy-building might look and feel like in a museum setting. Read it here.

Inclusion at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) - The AGO is undertaking a number of initiatives to better present Canada's historical and current narratives from multiple perspectives. Fran Bleviss, AGO Gallery Guide and NDSC Regional Director, reports on these efforts to make all of Canada's people feel welcome and included. Read it here.

Find all articles on inclusion and diversity here

Find online resources on inclusion and diversity here

We welcome your docent ideas and experiences. Share them by:

-- submitting an article to info@nationaldocents.org

-- joining the National Docents Forum Facebook group, an interactive forum for docents and guides.

Mina Shea, President, National Docent Symposium Council

The Peterson Automotive Museum, Los Angeles CA||

More Docent News/Sharing Ideas and Experience

The Petersen Automotive Museum, A Docent's Perspective

Click here to read the article

Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution||

Spotlight on DC 2019

Washington, D.C., is an exciting place to visit. Considering attending the next symposium? Learn more about your 2019 hosts, their partners, and the pre-symposium tour venues here.

Insight from the Council

What is the National Docent Symposium?

Jan Thorman, Regional Director, National Docent Symposium Council (August 2018)

The Directors of the National Docent Symposium Council (NDSC) not only are active docents in their respective cultural institutions but they are frequent and ongoing participants in the symposia over many years. They offer their insight from their experiences at the symposia and how the NDSC offers cultural institutions throughout the United States and Canada an excellent forum for the exchange of new ideas and best practices.
Wondering about what the symposium is and whether you should attend the next one to be held in Washington D.C. in 2019? Get some insider tips from the National Docent Symposium Council members who have attended and benefited from numerous symposia. Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Jan Thorman explains what the National Docent Symposium is.

Traveling Docents

New Contributions (August 2018)

Many docents are adventurous travelers. We continue a series on docent travels to unique places and interesting museums with a visit to the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, which you can find here.

More New Travel Stories from Docents: A Cultural Journey to British Columbia, A Docent Travels to the Motherland, Dakar, Senegal, A 5-Star LA Art Trip, and A Summer Visit to Calgary.

The Docent Handbook 2

The revised edition of our popular docent handbook - The Docent Handbook 2 - is now available for purchase. This valuable resource for docents, guides and interpreters from museums and cultural institutions of all types in the US and Canada is a stimulating and informative "nuts and bolts" manual.

Read what purchasers have to say about The Docent Handbook 2

For more information and ordering instructions, click this LINK