Spring Break
Meadows Museum offers new student docent program
Russ Aaron, Entertainment Editor, raaron@smu.edu
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Entertainment
"We want them to be facilitators, we want them to be getting people to talk about art…having people look at a painting and getting something out of it visually, rather than relying on that label on the wall," Winterrowd said.
The program began in correlation with a grant received from the Wachovia Foundation. The grant is currently serving 750 students from three Dallas-area middle schools, and aims to generate interest in students planning to pursue education after high school. The student docents represent the link between the middle school students and SMU, by way of the Meadows Museum. The student docents answer questions regarding college life in general, but also interact with prospective students in the art galleries and lead activities. One of these activities is a workshop tour program, which includes studio activities as well as looking at art in the galleries. The workshop tour, which kicks off in January, will make full use of the student docents.
Winterrowd sees the student docent program as a way to build up the relationship between the museum and the rest of the university.
"Across the country, our colleagues at other university museums, everybody bemoans the fact that people just don't use the institution the way that you would think they would on a university campus," said Winterrowd. "The hope is by getting students involved in teaching in a much more invested way in the museum, they will help to spread that to other students."
In order to inform students of the docent program, the Meadows Museum began sending mass e-mails in early September. Fliers were placed in the student mailboxes on campus, which, according to Winterrowd, were most successful at relaying the message to the university. Senior french major and current student docent Katy Crawford heard about the program through Facebook, the online social networking Web site.
"A friend of mine already worked at the museum and had set up an event for the information sessions," Crawford said. "I've always been interested in working in museums and thought this would be a great opportunity, since you don't need a background in art history or any specific field."
Crawford, as well as the other student docents, are still in the process of training, but is already seeing the program as a positive experience.
"I'm really enjoying the experience of working with the people at the museum, along with the great collection of artwork at Meadows," Crawford said. "I think this will be a valuable learning experience for me, personally, both in working with art and in being articulate and engaging before a group."
If interested in the student docent program, visit the Meadows Museum Web site or contact Scott Winterrowd at 214-768-4993.
The program began in correlation with a grant received from the Wachovia Foundation. The grant is currently serving 750 students from three Dallas-area middle schools, and aims to generate interest in students planning to pursue education after high school. The student docents represent the link between the middle school students and SMU, by way of the Meadows Museum. The student docents answer questions regarding college life in general, but also interact with prospective students in the art galleries and lead activities. One of these activities is a workshop tour program, which includes studio activities as well as looking at art in the galleries. The workshop tour, which kicks off in January, will make full use of the student docents.
Winterrowd sees the student docent program as a way to build up the relationship between the museum and the rest of the university.
"Across the country, our colleagues at other university museums, everybody bemoans the fact that people just don't use the institution the way that you would think they would on a university campus," said Winterrowd. "The hope is by getting students involved in teaching in a much more invested way in the museum, they will help to spread that to other students."
In order to inform students of the docent program, the Meadows Museum began sending mass e-mails in early September. Fliers were placed in the student mailboxes on campus, which, according to Winterrowd, were most successful at relaying the message to the university. Senior french major and current student docent Katy Crawford heard about the program through Facebook, the online social networking Web site.
"A friend of mine already worked at the museum and had set up an event for the information sessions," Crawford said. "I've always been interested in working in museums and thought this would be a great opportunity, since you don't need a background in art history or any specific field."
Crawford, as well as the other student docents, are still in the process of training, but is already seeing the program as a positive experience.
"I'm really enjoying the experience of working with the people at the museum, along with the great collection of artwork at Meadows," Crawford said. "I think this will be a valuable learning experience for me, personally, both in working with art and in being articulate and engaging before a group."
If interested in the student docent program, visit the Meadows Museum Web site or contact Scott Winterrowd at 214-768-4993.
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