The Cummer’s Junior Docent program is breaking new ground. You may be asking yourself, “What is a Junior Docent and what do they do?” Funny you should ask. I can tell you all about it.
The Junior Docent program began many years ago as a way to engage middle and high school age students in the museum. They don’t have to be artists, just curious about art and the way museums work. Many students have already been involved in life at The Cummer through summer camp, weekend classes, or volunteering. This program invites those exemplary students to meet monthly to work on a year-end project that offers some sort of art interpretation to museum visitors.
While this program is special in its own right, you may be wondering how they could be breaking new ground? Many museums around the world are looking to technology to engage their visitors in exhibitions. Our Junior Docents have taken on the task of writing and recording audio content to enhance two temporary exhibitions this spring. All you (the visitor) will do is use a smart phone to scan a QR code on the label next to the artwork and you’ll be transported to a recording of one of our Junior Docents.
When you visit The Tsars’ Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative Arts you will have the opportunity to learn more about Russian history under the Romanovs’ rule through looking at decorative objects. The intricacies of these decorative objects will be explained to you via digital recording by one of our friendly Junior Docents. You can also hear the students speak in person about this exhibit at our Community Night for The Tsars’ Cabinet on Tuesday, February 26th from 4 to 8 p.m.
Learn about individual works of art and the artists in another exhibition entitled La Florida. You will hear students speak about works of art from The Cummer’s permanent collection and pieces borrowed from other institutions around Florida. The fascinating stories of how these works of art came to be will be told by one of our knowledgeable Junior docents via audio recording. You can hear students speak in person about this exhibit as well, at our Community Opening for La Florida, Tuesday, April 2nd, 4 to 8 p.m.
Are you interested in becoming a Junior Docent for Fall 2013 and are entering 6th through 12th grades? You may contact Lori Eisenberg Castro at leisenbergcastro@cummer.org for more information.
