Crocker Art Museum

Learn how this Docent Council successfully recruited and trained docents of diverse backgrounds through tailored continuing education and organized outreach efforts. Specific numerical results and strategies will be discussed and shared with the group.

Presenters: Mallorie Marsh, Robert Mundhenk

High Museum of Art

This workshop demonstrated ways the High Museum has successfully increased the diversity of our docent corps. We discussed strategies used to recruit, train, and retain a diverse group of docents.

Presenters: Don Spencer, Deloris Bryant-Booker, Cherlyn Mitchell

Milwaukee Art Museum

Learn about the Art for All program and its applicability to other museums. Join presenters in exploring some real-world tour scenarios, sampling a facilitated conversation, and considering DEAI topics such as racism, inclusive vocabulary, trauma-informed care, and social emotional learning.

Presenters: 

Peter Larson-Docent Council Chair
Jeewon Chung Schally- Art for All Docent Coordinator
Sarah Ozurumba-Educator of School & Teacher Programs, Staff Art for All Coordinator

Phoenix Art Museum

Discover ways to streamline your docent training program to make it more flexible, relevant, and accessible to a broader pool of prospective docents. Concrete steps will be shared that ensure that a docent program produces prepared, inspired docents who are ready to engage and connect with diverse Museum visitors.

Presenters: Nancy Levin, Lisa Roger

Denver Art Museum

This docent training approach provides paired leadership of docents with staff, team building and a tech toolbox that enabled docents to reimagine the museum’s collection through the use of collection cohorts.

Presenters:  Lise Gander, Susan Nunnery, Anne Stellmon

The Walters Art Museum. Baltimore, MD

Challenge yourself to see your museum through the eyes of visitors of different races and cultures who may not feel welcome, understood or represented. We offer suggestions to develop docent-led programs that promote inclusion and diversity by prioritizing people over objects, focusing on consequence over intention and providing contextual information that acknowledges multiple narratives.

Presenters:  Sheila Vidmar and Terry Ulmer

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

A one-year training program for student guides, with emphasis on the use of mentorship strategies in the learning process, offers an opportunity for the mentor and the student-guide to capitalize on their respective experiences. In addition to sharing specific roles, activities and issues that occur during training, participants will reflect on their own guiding practices.

Presenters: Muriel Luderowski and Linda Goosens

Albuquerque Museum

This case study will provide information about how engaging children became the focus of training.
Topics include key concepts of adult learning; ways to engage young learners; mentoring programs;
use of hands-on objects; and tour planning tips for successful docent training.

Presenter:  David F. Bower, Ed. D.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Docents who are faced with interpreting sensitive subjects as part of their museum’s story will
explore creative ways to address tough topics, including partnering with local like-minded
institutions, as well as tips used to conduct thoughtful tours. Subjects include difference,
discrimination, hate, race/racism or violence.

Presenter:  Janice Ferebee, MSW

Tucson Museum of Art

Learn how a docent group DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion) assists in developing
tour resources and strategies for engaging audiences when dealing with difficult themes such as
racism, violence and marginalization.  Training has included field trips, modeled facilitation strategies
and work with a community advisory committee.

Presenters:  Morgan Wells, Julie Frankston, and Jan Weidenhammer