About Michelle

I am fortunate to be able to share the universal language of art with people of every age. If visitors I am touring make connections with the art and want to come back for more, I have done my job well. As docents, we help our visitors explore themselves through the art, and make learning a relevant and enriching experience.

My Connection with the NDSC

As a member of the steering committee for our docent organization's successful bid to host the 2007 National Docent Symposium, I attended my first symposium in 2005. It was a reconnaissance mission to observe and learn and bring back to Phoenix Art Museum the best practices for creating a multi-faceted conference. As co-chair of hotel lodging and meeting logistics, I was thrilled to collaborate with hundreds of regional docents as we prepared to welcome colleagues from across North America. The seeds for understanding the power of docent community were planted during that time. In serving on our docent governing board for the past 14 years, a highlight has been participation at five symposia. The peer connections and incredible learning opportunities led me to seek a position on the Council. It's my turn to help build and nurture a strong and vibrant docent/guide community so that we can make an even greater impact on people's lives.

About Joanne

Being a docent provides a unique opportunity to share art with the public while learning from visitors on a daily basis. No matter how much time I’ve spent with an object, I seem to always see that work of art a little differently after each tour. I especially love touring with high school students when a certain “spark” is ignited as the student finds a connection between something on the tour and their life experience. And I simply love the high quality of our docent training. It’s like a graduate level course in art history, exhibition planning, trends in museum practice and knowledge of emerging artists.

My Connection with the NDSC

My first National Docent Symposium was 2017 in Montreal. As vice president of our Docent Council I was invited to attend but had no idea what to expect. The range of touring options, new and useful techniques and different ways to engage our audiences were thrilling to learn. And the excitement of being a docent was palpable. I left invigorated and excited to apply my learnings with our entire Docent Corp. This year, as president of our Council I enthusiastically signed up to attend in Washington DC. Inspired by a fellow docent in our program who has served on the board, I look forward to my new role as Regional Director to encourage docents from other museums to join me in Kansas City.

About Sharon

I graduated from Boston College many years ago, and in some ways never really left. I have always been interested in the arts and had a career as a professional photographer. That led to my becoming a Docent at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and a Patron of the McMullen Museum at Boston College. When the opportunity arose to become a museum guide at the McMullen, I immediately jumped at the chance and never looked back. It has been a dream come true. Being a guide at a teaching museum in a research university is one of the best experiences I could have hoped for. To make the art come alive, and have meaning both to the students as well as the public, is inspirational. The word “inspire” means “impart a truth or idea to someone”, which aptly describes what I believe being a museum guide is all about .

My connection with the NDSC

I attended my first Symposium in Washington DC in 2019.  My connection with NDSC furthers my love of art and my passion for passing on that love and what I have learned to others. When you have a love of art, it naturally translates to want to learn more skills to improve one’s role in being a museum guide. I am thankful to have found this wonderful organization to better my knowledge and my skills as a guide. The information we receive, the workshops we attend, and the symposiums which are held, all help us to become better guides and share with others the knowledge that we have obtained.

About Ellen

Becoming a docent gave me the chance to be part of a friendly, curious, enthusiastic group who wanted to learn all they could about art and to engage a wide variety of audiences. I look forward to meeting docents from all over the US and Canada with the NDSC.

My Connection with the NDSC

The first symposium I attend was in San Francisco 2013, I was amazed at the variety of people and the richness of the workshops offered. Next I attended the symposium in 2017 in Montreal and felt the thrill of being with over 400 volunteers from all over the US and Canada. Everyone was so friendly and had something unique and helpful to say about being a docent. At that symposium, I was able to join the Board as a Regional Director and begin telling nearby museums about these remarkable meetings!