During her first year on Grounds, second-year College student Katherine Philips found herself at a table at the activities fair with information about the Fralin Art Museum’s docent program. Now, after a year-and-a-half of volunteering at the museum, Philips is on the executive committee of art docents.
“I didn’t actually know much about [the docent program] — it was something I randomly stumbled upon,” Philips said. “I looked it up online and after talking to a few of the docents I thought it would be a good thing to do because I love art and I loved art in high school and I wanted to get more involved with it at U.Va.”
Through the art docent program, students lead engaging tours of the museum for members of the University community and organizations from the larger Charlottesville area.
“Being an art docent really encompasses my goal of getting more involved on Grounds, my love for art and [my interest in] working with community members,” second-year College student Delaney Mitchell said.
After students are accepted into the program, they are required to participate in a 10-week docent training course before becoming a full-time docent. The course includes an hour-long class each week which teaches students about the museum’s art collections and techniques essential for facilitating tours.
“[The Docent Training course is] great because you really get to bond with your docent-in-training class,” Philips said. “You also get to learn a lot about the museum and giving tours and the unique way we give tours at the Fralin.”
While the majority of art docents are studying either art history or studio art at the University, the group encompasses a broad range of interests.
“Most people [in the program] I find are all mostly double majors with something in the arts and something completely different,” Philips said. “It’s a really diverse group, so it’s pretty fun.”
The majority of tours are given to grade school students from the Charlottesville area, though smaller groups of University students and senior citizens also participate in student-led tours.
“This year we are really trying to push getting more University students involved and getting more U.Va. students to sign up for tours,” Philips said. “It’s a great resource that I don’t think many people realize.”
In addition to giving tours, art docents organize and assist with community programs, such as the museum’s annual Writer’s Eye competition. This literary competition invites participants to use visual pieces in the museum as inspiration for creative writing. Local teachers and writers judge the entries anonymously and choose winners from each age group.
“The Writer’s Eye program is something I am both excited and passionate about,” Mitchell said. “I love working with kids and I love the Fralin Art Museum community — everyone is so helpful and dedicated.”
For docents, one of the most important parts of the program is learning about the possibilities of an arts-related career in the future.
“I want to somehow work in a museum when I graduate,” Mitchell said. “So through this program, I will gain valuable experience about the arts and it will give me an edge later.”
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