National Docents Symposium Council
Dedicated to providing an ongoing forum for docent education and the exchange of ideas since 1981
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- Site Content
- 2011 Photo Galleries
- 2024 National Docent Symposium
- Advisors
- Archived Articles
- Archived Roundtable Discussions
- Active Senior Tours
- Asking the Right Questions
- Casual or Structured Tours
- Contemporary Art Museum
- Docent Evaluation
- Docent Rules and Regulations
- Docent/ Staff Relations
- How to Share What We Have Learned
- Politically Correct Tours
- Preschool and Kindergarten Tours
- Science/Botanical Museums
- Special Needs Tours
- Teens and Tours
- Touring Craft Objects
- Touring with Middle School Students
- Touring with Technology
- Touring with Technology
- At Large Directors
- Atlanta 2024
- Audience Engagement
- 30 Minutes with Treasures of the Museum: Virtual Tours (2022 Kansas City)
- 50 Visits into the Community (2022 Kansas City)
- Accessibility = Include Everyone (2022 Kansas City)
- Add The WOW To Virtual Tours (2022 Kansas City)
- Beyond Art History (2022 Kansas City)
- Connecting to Contemporary Art (2019 Washington DC)
- Creating in the Galleries: Fostering a Memorable Experience (2019 Washington DC)
- Creating Interfaith Dialogue: Engagement in Religion and Art (2022 Kansas City)
- Dalí in the Details: Successful Strategies for Refreshing Tours from a Dalínian Perspective (2013 SF)
- Ekphrastic Writing through Engaging VisLit Activities: Start Your Museum’s Successful Poetry Contest (2019 Washington DC)
- Engaging Activities in the Galleries (2019 Washington DC)
- Engaging with our Diverse Visitors (2022 Kansas City)
- Experiencing Art through Hands-On Objects (2013 SF)
- Frameworks and the Decorative Arts: A Strategy for Organizing Docent-led Tours (2017 Montreal)
- Hit Docent Refresh Button for High-Energy Tours (2017 Montreal)
- Holy Emojis – Talk to Me 2017 (Montreal)
- Maximizing Your Permanent Collection: Creating New Impressions (2019 Washington DC)
- Now You See It, Now You Don’t: Strategies and Techniques for Interpretive Tours of Time-Based Media (2019 Washington DC)
- Opening Up Through Vocal Warmup and Improvisation (2022 Kansas City)
- Outside the Box: Activities in the Galleries (2022 Kansas City)
- Outside the Comfort Zone: When Listening is More Important than Talking (2019 Washington DC)
- Rules of Engagement: Best Practices (2013 SF)
- Strategies for Facilitating Visual Literacy and Audience Engagement (2017 Montreal)
- Supporting Change: The Docent's Role (2013 SF)
- The Amazing World of Color in Art (2022 Kansas City)
- The Art of Interfaith Tours (2019 Washington DC)
- The Museum as Muse: Connecting with New Audiences (2013 SF)
- Touring Strategies for Challenging Art (2017 Montreal)
- Using Visual Thinking Strategies to Enhance Participation (2019 Washington DC)
- What's It Made Of? (2022 Kansas City)
- Whose Tour is This, Anyway? Creating an Audience-Centered Gallery Experience (2017 Montreal)
- Windows & Mirrors: Multi-literacy (2022 Kansas City)
- Book and Movie Recommendations
- Andrew Wyeth
- Book Review: Visual Intelligence
- Recommended Museum Education Books
- Reductionism in Art and Brain Science
- Restless Ambition: Grace Hartigan, Painter
- Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis
- The Muralist by B. J. Shapiro
- Who's Afraid of Contemporary Art?
- Celebrating 40 Years!
- Celebrating 40 years: Adapting to New Roles
- Celebrating 40 Years: Adjusting to New Philosophies and Adopting New Technology
- Celebrating 40 Years: Discussing a Roadmap for Change
- Celebrating 40 Years: Reflections of a Long-Time Docent
- Celebrating 40 Years: Remembering NDS 1993 in Pictures
- The Evolving Docent: Connecting with Audiences and Creating Value in an Ever-Changing World.
- Contact Info
- Discover Kansas City
- Country Club Plaza
- Ewing and Muriel Kauffmann Memorial Gardens
- Harry S Truman Presidential Library and Museum
- Historic 18th & Vine District
- History Comes Alive
- Jacob Loose Memorial Park
- Kansas City Barbecue
- Kansas City Belger Arts
- Michael Klein Judaica Collection
- Museum of Deaf History, Arts and Culture
- Powell Gardens
- Shopping in Kansas City
- The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
- The National Museum of Toys/Miniatures
- The National World War I Museum and Memorial
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
- Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio
- Union Station
- Diversity and Inclusion
- A Docent Corps Story of Diversity, Inclusion & Retention @ the High Museum of Art
- A Docent Program Evolves at the Tucson Museum of Art
- A Fellowship Model Paves the Way for Diversity and Inclusion
- Accessibility and Inclusivity Forum
- American History Through the African American Lens
- At the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City: Many Ways to Welcome All
- Black History Month in Museums - What Can We Learn?
- Building Empathy Through Art
- Creating a Cultural Glossary for Docents
- Creating Cultural Contexts
- Denver Art Museum Hosts Rising Young Artist's First Solo Show
- From Idea to Implementation – The Docent Public Tours Task Force at The Mint Museum
- Gilcrease Museum Exhibit Focuses on Immigrant Artists
- Inclusion and Diversity: Two Museums in the Heart of Los Angeles
- Inclusion at the Art Gallery of Ontario
- Inclusion in the Galleries: A Conversation on Internal Change
- Museum Tours for Students who have Autism
- Nevada Museum of Art Book Club Inspires Visitors
- Nevada Museum of Art Book Club Inspires Visitors
- Sharing Authority: Creating Inclusive Dialogue in the Museum
- The Changing Population of My City
- Tours for Very Young Audiences
- Unsettled, Art on the New Frontier
- Docent Resources
- Education Grants
- Front Page 2
- General
- General Information
- Guest Speakers
- Insight from the Council
- Changing of the Guard
- Diversifying the Docent Corps: A Case Study from the Crocker Art Museum
- Embracing Change Together!
- Expanding Canadian Outreach
- Get connected! Get inspired! Get Kansas City!!
- Keeping the Exchange Alive
- NDSC Education Grants for the National Docent Symposium 2019, WASHINGTON D.C.
- No Winter Slowdown at the NDSC
- On Making More of a Difference
- One Docent's Thoughts from the Solitude of a Pandemic
- Radical Reimagining for the Museum Community
- Recruiting Directors
- The Evolving Docent: Connecting with Audiences and Creating Value in an Ever-Changing World
- What is the National Docent Symposium?
- What Makes a Great Symposium Breakout?
- Who's Behind the Facebook Forum?
- Kansas City 2022
- KC2022
- Additional Registration Options
- Breakout Session 1: Saturday 11:00-12:00
- Breakout Session 2: Saturday 1:30-2:30
- Breakout Session 3: Sunday 9:00-10:00
- Breakout Session 4: Sunday 10:30-11:30
- Breakout Sessions
- Cancellation Policy
- COVID Policy
- Dinners
- Dinners
- FAQ
- Hotel
- Information for Traveling Companions
- Meet the Co-Chairs
- Plan Your Visit
- Pre-Tours
- Program
- Registration
- Showcase of Ideas
- Speakers
- Symposium Updates
- Welcome
- Making an Impact
- Art In Bloom 2023 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Cheryl Palmer, The Mint Museum
- Gin Wachter, Saint Louis Art Museum
- Mina Shea, Fine Arts Museums Of San Francisco
- Mint Museum Docents Celebrate 65 Years of Service
- Not Knowing Together: DEIA Committee Paves Path of Discovery
- Renée Brummel Franklin, Saint Louis Art Museum
- School Group Guides Create Pilot Program for Bi-Lingual Tours
- Wadsworth Atheneum Docent Council
- Writing for the Future: Developing a Handbook for Touring with Children and Teens
- More Docent News
- Art Gallery of Ontario: Changes and Adjustment Take Time!
- Be a Part of NDSAtl24!
- Building Docent Community in Our Virtual World
- Celebrating Women in the Arts (May 2018)
- Changing up Docent Engagement by Sharing Neighborhood Stories
- Crafting a Highlights Tour (March 2019)
- Creating a Docent "Curator's Club"
- Docent Enrichment in the Age of Social Distancing
- Docenting at a Non-Art Museum (April 2018)
- Docents Dive Deep: Tiny Tours @ The Meadows
- Docents Reach Across Disciplines to Discover New Stories
- Experiences Make Better Docents
- Freer Gallery of Art: Reopening Celebration (October 2017)
- Guides at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts respond to the pandemic!
- Honoring Docents (Fall 2019)
- How Do You Know When Good is Good? (March 2019)
- How the Bowers Museum Docent Guild established closer collaboration with Bowers Museum’s Education Department (Summer 2019)
- If These Walls Could Talk
- Keeping It Together at the AGO in Toronto!
- Looking Forward to Atlanta 2024
- Making the shift from Ask Me to Art Chat at Carnegie Museum of Art (Summer 2019)
- Math in the Museum (March 2018)
- Neither Snow, Nor Rain . . . . (Summer 2019)
- Organizing a Virtual Tour: The Good, The Bad, and the Difficult
- Pandemic Baby: In House Docent Magazine Connects Docents
- Park House Guides at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (March 2019)
- Reimagining the Future: An Interview with Tom Loughman, Director and CEO of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
- San Diego Museum of Art Docents and Educators Collaborate on Popular Student Artist Workshop Program
- Staying Connected with a Docent Share-a-thon
- Telling the Untold Stories of a Historic Home (Summer 2019)
- The Art and Science of Alzheimer's (November 2017)
- The Petersen Automotive Museum, A Docent's Perspective (August 2018)
- The Rubin Museum Docents: Training for “The Future” (June 2018)
- UMFA Docents Share ‘the Pendant Format’ in Power Couples Exhibition (Fall 2019)
- Virtual Docenting at the National Air and Space Museum
- Watch now! Diversifying the Docent Corps: A Case Study from the Crocker Art Museum
- Western Region Hosts Roundtable on Reimagining Docent Training
- What DMA Docents Know About Art Could Fill a Database
- National Docent Symposium Kansas City 2022
- A Changing of the Guard
- A Fellowship Model Paves the Way for Diversity and Inclusion
- Another Great Handbook for Docents and Guides: Tours for Children and Teens
- Be a Resource!
- Building Docent Community in Our Virtual World
- Celebrating Docents Through the Decades
- Creating a Cultural Glossary for Docents
- Docents Dive Deep: Tiny Tours @ The Meadows
- Docents Reach Across Disciplines to Discover New Stories
- Engaging with a Historic Neighborhood - and with Each Other
- Envisioning the Impact of Change
- Experiences Make Better Docents
- Kansas City Breakout Session Materials Now Available!
- Making an Impact
- More Docent News/Sharing Ideas and Experience
- NDS 2019 Washington D.C.
- New Year, New Opportunities
- O Canada!
- Organizing a Virtual Tour: The Good, the Bad, and the Difficult
- Radical Reimagining for the Museum Community
- Reimagining the Future: An Interview with Tom Loughman
- Sharing to Stay Connected
- Thank You, Kansas City 2022!
- The Docent Handbook 2
- Traveling Docents
- Traveling Docents
- What DMA Docents Know About Art Could Fill a Database
- What's Happening at the NDSC
- Where Are We Now?
- Writing for the Future: Developing a Handbook for Touring with Children and Teens
- Other
- Connecting Museums to Today's Cultures (2013 SF)
- Docent/Staff Relations (2011 St. Louis)
- Docent/Staff Relations (2013 SF)
- Encouraging a wide range of cultural institutions to attend Docent Symposium (2011 St. Louis)
- Expanding Beyond the Museum Walls - Taking Art Into the Schools/Community (2013 SF)
- How to Maintain a Docent Corps When Your Museum Closes (2013 SF)
- Other Docent Activities
- Ale and Art (2022 Kansas City)
- Connected Docent Corps (2022 Kansas City)
- Creative Collaborations: Capitalizing on Gallery Guide Partnerships and Museum Educators (2019 Washington DC)
- Docents as Fundraisers: From Initiators to Collaborators (2013 SF)
- Docents Select: The Second Time Around (Docent-Curated Exhibition) (2013 SF)
- Sustained to Sustainer: Creative Organizational Self-Funding (2013 SF)
- Teen Docents: How Museums Can Create and Prosper From a Teen Docent Program (2022 Kansas City)
- The Artist in You (2022 Kansas City)
- The FAMSF Community Speakers Program (2013 SF)
- Trading Controversy for Curiosity with Docent Dialogues (2022 Kansas City
- Virtual Travel and Connections (2022 Kansas City)
- Whodunnit? Stepping Out with Visual Thinking Strategies in Crime Scenes and Other Unusual Places (2019 Washington DC)
- Pre-tours
- 18th & Vine - Contemporary Black Art Tour
- Ceramics, Prints & Private Art Collection
- Children’s “Story” Museum
- Contemporary Art: Studio, Museum, School
- Garden Tours
- Harry S. Truman: Man from Independence
- Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
- Museum Provenance and Conservation
- Nat’l World War I Museum & Liberty Memorial
- Private Art Collection: 2 Generations Nerman Family
- Private Contemporary Art Collection
- Thomas Hart Benton: 20th Century Artist
- Toys, Miniatures and Rare Books
- Recommended Website Links
- Recruitment, Training, Review
- "What If I Told You?" - Docents Educating Docents (Montreal 2017)
- Art for All (2022 Kansas City)
- Detour Ahead! A Roadmap for Change Within a Docent Program (2019 Washington DC)
- Diversifying the Docent Corp (2022 Kansas City)
- Docent Diversity and Engagement (2022 Kansas City)
- Docent Reset: A Specialist Approach (2022 Kansas City)
- Docents of DuSable Museum: Training and Thriving (2015 Cincinnati)
- Engaging Learners: A Case Study of Docent Training (2019 Washington DC)
- From Angst to Action: Creating a Docent-Led Program to Promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (2019 Washington DC)
- Interpreting Tough Topics with Dignity (2019 Washington DC)
- Maintaining Excellence in the Docent Corps (2017 Montreal)
- Maintaining Quality Through Peer Evaluations (2015 Cincinnati)
- Mentorship as a Key to Successful Docent Training (2015 Cincinnati)
- Project Based Learning for Docents: A Framework of Teaching for Understanding (2019 Washington DC)
- Reimagining Docent Training (2022 Kansas City)
- Tackling Diversity and Cultural Sensitivity with Docents (2019 Washington DC)
- The Sphere of Co-Learning: Mentor and Student-Guide in a Collaborative Relationship (2019 Washington DC)
- Tools for Effective Communication in the Docent Community (2017 Montreal)
- Transformation: Rethinking an Existing Docent Program (2015 Cincinnati)
- Regional Directors
- School Touring
- A Training Program for Stepping Up Effective Docent Engagement with Youth (2013 SF)
- Ancient Engineers to Modern Innovations: A STE(A)M Experience for Middle to High School Students (2017 Montreal)
- Art + Science Student Tours
- Art Education and Technology: How to Connect, Collaborate, and Inspire (2013 SF)
- Art Trak – Multiple Visit Program (2019 Washington DC)
- Artful Literacy: Communicating, Writing, and Reading About Art (2017 Montreal)
- Artful Movement (2022 Kansas City)
- Arts Alive: Non-traditional Interactive Tours (2019 Washington DC)
- Awakening Curiosity and Building Museum Literacy (2017 Montreal)
- Building Meaning Together: The Power of School and Museum Partnerships (2019 Washington DC)
- Centaurs, Sekhmet, and Shamans: Engaging and Expanding the Teenage Mind Through Composite Figures (2019 Washington DC)
- Collaboration is Key: Working Together to Develop New School Tours (2019 Washington DC)
- Collaborative process for creating a writing / sketching school program (2015 Cincinnati)
- Creating Innovative School Programs (2013 San Francisco)
- Creativity and the Common Core: Ideas and activities for school tours (2015 Cincinnati)
- Docent-made K-12 Tool Kits (2022 Kansas City)
- Expanding Young Minds Through the Power of Art (2015 Cincinnati)
- From Land Footprints to Virtual Footprints (2022 Kansas City)
- High School/Middle School Students and Contemporary Art (2013 SF)
- Museum in a Box: Taking Your Museum Tour on the Road (2019 Washington DC)
- Preschool and Kindergarten Touring (2011 St. Louis)
- Spotlighting Students’ Art in the Museum (2019 Washington DC)
- STEAMED UP! Innovative Docent-Teacher Collaboration (2022 Kansas City)
- Student-Designed/Docent-Aligned Tour (2013 SF)
- Teens and Tours (2011 St. Louis)
- Touring Elementary School Children (2011 St. Louis)
- Touring Middle School Students (2011 St. Louis)
- Tried and True Strategies for Promoting Positive Behavior During Tours (2017 Montreal)
- Turn Up the HEAT, A STEAM Tour Program (2017 Montreal)
- Using Art to Support Social Emotional Learning (2022 Kansas City)
- Visual Arts for Young Minds: Early Learning (2022 Kansas City)
- We Tour with Pre-K Children and You Can Too (2019 Washington DC)
- What Makes You Say That? Valuing Students’ Ideas in the Classroom (2019 Washington DC)
- Workshop: Curriculum - Based Gallery Activities (2017 Montreal)
- You Can Touch This! Build and Use a Hands-On Collection for All Visitors (2019 Washington DC)
- Showcase of Ideas
- Slider
- Specialty Touring
- Active Senior Tours (2011 St. Louis)
- Adults and Contemporary Art (2013 SF)
- Creating Interactive Tours with Museum Visitors (2013 SF)
- Memory Challenged Adult Tours (2011 St. Louis)
- Politically Correct Touring (2011 St. Louis)
- Special Needs Tours (2011 St. Louis)
- Touring Contemporary Art (2011 St. Louis)
- Touring Craft Objects (2011 St. Louis)
- Touring in History Museums, Historical Homes and Sites (2013 SF)
- Touring in Small Museums - Special Problems/Situations (2013 SF)
- Touring with Difficult Subjects (2013 SF)
- Tours for Special Needs Visitors - Memory/Sight/Hearing Loss (2013 SF)
- Sunday Afternoon Out Workshop
- Captivating Cross-Cultural Dialogues
- Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) Skills for Docents
- Creative Research Collaborations
- Do You See What I See?
- Engaging Museum Visitors in Difficult Topics at the Truman Library
- Enriching Early Childhood Tours
- How to Interpret When the Subject is Unpredictable
- Listening With Your Eyes
- Remaining Flexible and Curious
- Strategies For Welcoming Everyone
- Thinking Through Art
- Tour Techniques for Targeted Audience
- Technology
- A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Capturing and Recording Legacy Stories (2015 Cincinnati)
- Addressing Docent Needs: Easier and Better Communication through Technology(2013 SF)
- An Interactive Docent Website that Does It All! (2013 SF)
- Art Education and Technology: How to Connect, Collaborate, and Inspire (2013 SF)
- Curating a Website for the Non-Digital Docent (2019 Washington DC)
- Docent Web: An Online Resource Center for Docents (2013 SF)
- Docents Without Walls: Using Online Tools to Share Notes, Resources, and Collection Training Information (2017 Montreal)
- How Docents go Digital: Success Stories (2015 Cincinnati)
- Hurdles Big and Small: Building a Docent Website from the Museum Floor Up (2013 SF)
- iPad, Do You? A Plan for Implementing iPad Use on Tours (2013 SF)
- Online Docent Training: Is it for Everyone? (2015 Cincinnati)
- Reframing the Museum Experience: Creating a Distance Learning Program (2019 Washington DC)
- The Docent Toolbox—Using Technology for Change (2013 SF)
- There’s More to the Story: Making Connections Using iPads/Tablets (2019 Washington DC)
- Touring with Technology (2011 St. Louis)
- Touring with Technology - iPads, Smart Boards, etc. (2013 SF)
- Transforming Visitor Experiences: A Blueprint for iPad Success (2015 Cincinnati)
- Touring Specialty Populations
- Art and Medicine: Connecting Experiences (2019 Washington DC)
- Art Without Borders: Outreach to the Refugee Community (2019 Washington DC)
- Bringing Furniture to Life (2015 Cincinnati)
- Creating Connections from Afar: Museums, Dementia and the Virtual Space (2022 Kansas City)
- Creative Explorers: A Creative Thinking Tour for 3-to-5-Year-Olds (2017 Montreal)
- Doors Always Open! Accessibility for All (2019 Washington DC)
- Engaging through touch: tours for the visually impaired (2015 Cincinnati)
- Home School Tours: Formulating a new approach (2015 Cincinnati)
- Honoring the Warriors: Tours for Veterans (2017 Montreal)
- How to Create, Maintain and Improve Multisensory Tours for the Visually Impaired (2017 Montreal)
- Maud Lewis:Finding the Magic in Her Story and in Her Art (2017 Montreal)
- Minds in Motion: Engaging Visitors with Memory Loss (2019 Washington DC)
- Off the Wall - An Interactive Art/Writing/Drama Program (2015 Cincinnati)
- Pen to Palette: Community Outreach Program Uniting Literature with Art (2015 Cincinnati)
- Providing Access to Visual Art for People Without Sight (2017 Montreal)
- Re-imagining Museum Tours for People Who are Blind or Who Have Low Vision (2019 Washington DC)
- Reaching "Outside the Lines": Community Outreach (2015 Cincinnati)
- See Me at the Museum: Tours for Those with Memory Loss (2019 Washington DC)
- STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (2015 Cincinnati)
- Steps for Expanding Inclusive Tours (2019 Washington DC)
- Tactile Tables: From Services for the Visually Impaired to Access for All (2015 Cincinatti)
- Talks on the Dot: Bridging the gap for the tour averse (2015 Cincinnati)
- The Art of Seeing Art: Engaging with Visual Literacy in an Art Museum (2015 Cincinnati)
- The Senses are Alive: Touring Adults with Memory Loss (2015 Cincinnati)
- Then, Now, Next: Developing a Comprehensive Access Program (2019 Washington DC)
- When Gallery = Community (2017 Montreal)
- Touring Techniques
- Training and Review
- Traveling Docents
- A Docent in Doha
- A Docent Travels to the Motherland, Dakar, Senegal
- A Five-Star LA Art Trip
- A Month in the Land of Enchantment: Santa Fe, New Mexico
- A Summer Visit to Calgary, Alberta
- A Trip to the Twin Cities
- A Visit to Benin City, Nigeria
- A Visit to the Iran National Museum, Tehran
- Adventures on a Rainy Day in St. Petersburg, Russia
- Contribute Your Travel Story
- Discover the Less-known Homes and History sites of the Eastern United States.
- Ecuador in Murals
- Enrichment through Travel: A Cultural Journey to the Nass and Skeena Valleys of British Columbia
- Going Dutch in Spectacular Living Color: Docents in Amsterdam, April 2019
- Journey to East Africa: Kenya and Tanzania
- Malta: Scenery, History and Art Provide Moments of Delight
- Slow Art in Venice
- Take a Video Tour of Holland
- Venice Biennale 2018
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