Joyce Bluett leads a tour in Andy Goldsworthy's Stone Sea.
For more than 60 years, a dedicated group of volunteers has been sharing educational experiences and engaging with Museum visitors in guided tours. Sometimes called docents, these guides receive specialized training about the best practices needed to lead lively conversations with different audiences on the SLAM collection.
This tradition began with the first docent class in 1963. There have been several classes over the years, with the last one completing its training around 10 years ago. This fall, SLAM will begin training a new class of guides. Applications are available now and will be reviewed on a rolling basis with the goal of beginning training later this year.
In order to make the training more accessible to all art enthusiasts, the Museum has changed the training process. The 12-week training will include virtual and in-person classes. Required in-person courses will take place once a week and will be offered on weekdays and weekends to accommodate a range of schedules.
Docent Bill Sitzer leads an Interfaith Tour at the Museum in 2019.
“The past model for training, which took a few years to complete, sometimes made it difficult to recruit a wide array of interested applicants,” said Karla Aguilar V., SLAM’s associate educator of guide programming. “Our goal for the new class of guides is to continue the legacy started more than 60 years ago of supporting visitors by validating reactions, listening to memories, and offering new perceptions to the art on view.”
No knowledge of art or art history is required to apply to be a guide. Candidates must possess strong communication and engagement skills and understand and support the Museum’s commitment to creating a welcoming space for visitors to experience art.
For more information, find the volunteer guide application on the Museum’s Careers and Opportunities page, or email Karla at Karla.AguilarV@slam.org.