Arlington Museum of Art Docent

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Our volunteer docents are an essential role at the AMA. They provide opportunities for visitors to learn and engage with the art on a deeper level through our docent guided tours. After completing the secondary docent application, all docents are required to go through staff-led docent training, which teaches the values of the AMA and in-depth knowledge about our exhibitions.

Is the AMA docent program for me?

At the AMA we look for docents who:

• Create an environment that welcomes visitors of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
• Model safe and respectful engagement with artworks and other visitors.
• Facilitate dialogue that encourages multiple perspectives.
• Inspire curiosity and imagination.

Docents tend to be people who:

• Love learning about art, ideas, and cultures from around the world.
• Enjoy/are good at public speaking.
• Want to encourage their community to engage with the arts in a deeper and more meaningful way.
• Are positive and open-minded.
• Value collaboration and flexibility, as well as constructive feedback.
• Have availability on weekdays for tours, as well as the ability to commit to trainings and independent learning.

Additional notes:

• No prior studio or art-historical training is required to participate.
• Tour audiences are approximately 80% children and 20% adults.
• Individuals must be at least 18 years of age to apply; all volunteers must complete a background check.
• Docents pay annual dues as a show of commitment to the program, paid annually in January. If joining the docent program at a later date, the program dues will be prorated based on start date.

Docent training course

• Program begins with a virtual training session done at the applicant’s own pace. This program will walk through what being a docent entails, as well as the history of the AMA and its values. Brief overview of the upcoming exhibits will be provided as well so the applicant can decide which exhibit aligns with their interests.
• Applicants will select which exhibit they wish to be a docent for, or both.
• Specific month-long training courses will be required for each exhibit, each course consisting of 2 classes and 2 weeks of self study. The classes will be held in-person and will do in-depth over each of the artifacts that will be in the exhibit. In the first class, docents will be provided a copy of the script to study over the month-long course.
• Upon conclusion of the training, docents will show their knowledge through a tour for a member of the AMA staff. Once the AMA staff member is given a tour, they will determine if the docent is ready to proceed with the program or if they should do more studying and re-try the tour. Docents will schedule the tour when they feel they are ready.

Participation expectations:

• Communicate with the Director of Visitor Experience regarding absences
• Individuals who miss a class are responsible for attending an alternate class time, or communicating with the Director of Visitor Experience about missed material and ways to make the curriculum up.