Service Opportunities: St. George Art Museum needs volunteers

ST. GEORGE —The St. George Art Museum is in need of dependable people to volunteer as docents for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year muesum tour season. Successful docents must be willing to commit to attending the initial training and then be available to help with at least two student tours per month during the tour seasons.

Along with the personal rewards received from volunteering at the museum, each docent is given a complementary admission to the Art Museum each time they guide a tour, as well as a complementary admission to exhibit opening receptions.

School tours

As children and educators head back to school, the museum looks forward to offering these tours to local fourth and fifth grade students. Each year, as part of its continued mission to provide quality educational experiences for all its patrons, regardless of age, the museum welcomes over 3,000 grade school students, parents, and teachers to take part in docent-lead museum tours.

Aside from the many cognitive benefits that art education provides, exposure to visual arts assists students in forming connections with the world around them.

“Art education teaches students how to interpret, criticize, and use visual information, and how to make choices based on it,” said Dr. Kerry Freedman, Head of Art and Design Education at Northern Illinois University.

The St. George Art Museum school tours provide a valuable educational experience, as well as provide young visitors the chance to experience firsthand the pleasures and stimulation of the visual arts.

All students who participate in the program are given a docent-lead tour of the current art exhibits within the art museum. Fifth grade students are then treated to a presentation by a local artist as they take part in the “Meet the Artist” program during the autumn months.

Once school resumes after the winter holidays, fourth grade tours commence, and the students are given the opportunity to see an abridged version of the “Historic St. George Live” production as part of their museum visit. The docent-lead tours, “Meet the Artist,” and “Historic St. George Live” programs offer educators valuable material to aid them in meeting their core curriculum learning standards.

Volunteering

In order to provide these useful learning experiences to area school children, the St. George Art Museum relies heavily upon volunteer docents who come from all walks of life, age, and professional backgrounds. One thing they all share in common is a desire to positively affect their community, especially its youngest members.

Successful docents needn’t have formal art or educational credentials. The museum staff, under direction from manager, Deborah Reeder, provides an orientation, learning materials, and often, contact with the artists themselves in order to assure each docent feels comfortable and knowledgeable. Association with other docents provides valuable insight into innovative presentation ideas as well.

If you would like to become a docent, please stop by the St. George Art Museum during hours of operation, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and fill out an application. You can also visit their website and click  “Get Involved – Volunteer” to submit your application. If you have questions about the docent program, please call 435-627-4525.

St. George Art Museum Information

  • Location: 47 East 200 North, St. George
  • Telephone: 435-627-4525
  • Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Contact: website | email

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