Contact:
Dan Carpenter
(325) 673-4587
Marketing@thegracemuseum.org

The Grace seeks docents for education team

Abilene, TX (July 16, 2008) - Attention everyone! Are you interested in playing an active role on The Grace Museum's education team? Consider joining the Museum's volunteer cadre of docents!

"Docents help administer our various education programs to school groups throughout the year," said Pam Harman, Director of Education for The Grace. "You don't need to have a background in art or history to be a docent. You just need to love children and believe in the importance of educating them about the culture that surrounds us."

The Museum needs two types of docents. Tour Docents give tours of art galleries, the History Museum , and Children's Museum. The time commitment includes two hours of training every month to learn about new exhibits, plus time spent giving tours as needed.

Outreach Docents go into the schools to teach art lessons to 3rd-4th grade students eight times a year. Training varies from month to month, and the average time spent in the schools is between 6-10 hours a month.

"All new docents attend two orientation sessions where they receive training in art history and art techniques. Tour docents receive training in tour techniques, while outreach docents receive training in hands-on classroom art instruction. New docents also observe two tours/outreach visits before being asked to give tours/outreach visits on their own," added Harman.

"We want the experience of being a docent to be rewarding for you. Docent training is a form of continuing education, and we strive to introduce you to new artists, new skills, and new experiences. We often invite artists and local scholars to speak at docent training. And we periodically take field trips to other museums in the surrounding area. Plus, docent training is a great opportunity to meet other fascinating people in Abilene."

The next docent orientation course begins August 26 and continues on August 28. If you are interested in becoming a Tour Docent or Outreach Docent at The Grace Museum, please contact Harman at 673-4587 or pam@thegracemuseum.org before August 20.

The Grace Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday. Admission is free Thursday evening after 5 p.m.

For more information, call 325-673-4587.

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The Grace Museum's exhibitions and educational programs are supported in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, the City of Abilene, Taylor County, and the Downtown Revitalization Program of the Tax Increment Finance District. The Grace Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1909, The Hotel Grace served as a rest stop for railway travelers. The mission-style building was renovated and re-opened in 1992 as The Grace Cultural Center. The Grace Museum , a non-profit organization, now serves as a home to a Children's Museum, History Museum , and Art Museum. At 55,000 sq. ft., The Grace Museum is the 10th largest general museum in Texas . The Grace Museum is the cornerstone of cultural arts and education in West Texas .