Satisfaction that your presentation was appreciated.

Yesterday I gave two tours at the Gallery on Labor Day to visitors who were interested, intrigued and fully participating with good comments and questions. After each of the two tours the response was positive and they moved on enthusiastically to continue viewing as much of the Gallery as they had time. Hooray!

Not seeing the real thing!

Yesterday I went to a lecture at the Museum which was given in a large auditorium by a distinguished member of the staff. It was the juxtaposition of two artists in Europe and how they interacted with one another. It was erudite and well crafted however because it was in an auditorium it lacked the wonder of being in front of the actual works of art. The loss of that experience, of seeing enjoying and marveling a work of art is lost when you are left with a transparency or projection on a screen. I will remember the lecture because it was very good but lament that I had to see projections of the works of art.

Interaction with the public

Interaction with the public can be dynamic with words and body language and can be mysterious when the public remains less communucative. My own tendency is to use my entire physical presence when speaking to and about art objects and when the viewers remain static my motions sometines more become more emphatic. It is usually because I want to get some modicum of reaction. However it does not mean that the audience is not responsing but it might mean that they are less demonstrative than not. Which brings me back to the subject of asking carefully crafted questions so that a positive engagement with the audience can be demonstrated. A few days ago I was part of an audience to a splended lecture in Gallery by one of the lecturers. The presentation was entirely a lecture but so well crafted and demonstrated with art objects that there was room for little else. There were a few questions by audience members but they were insignificant and added little to the body of knowedge that the lecturer was delivering. So it brings me back to the delivery of information to the public during a docent led tour. Do we give information that helps the viewer appreciate the object more fully or do we train them to view art objects on their own by asking a few questions to more engage them with the work being examined and hopefully appreciated?

Define a Docent.

My Oxford dictionary defines docent as a teacher or lecturer in a college or university and also as a person who serves as a well-informed guide, as in a museum. The initial implication leads one to believe that the docent acts much as a lecturer, imparting knowledge to the audience. However considering the facts that the audience is standing and following the docent throughout the museum and examining several objects over a period of 50 minutes or so, just how much will the viewer remember. Or perhaps the object is not to give information but to enable the viewers to be able to examine the objects actively to discover defining aspects of the object that will leave a lasting impression. If it is the latter than the docent not only gives the viewer some information but presents it in such a manner that questions delivered by the docent enhance the viewers observations. The viewer becomes an active participant in looking and discovers elements that help define the piece more clearly and therefore leave a lasting impression. It is not the words delivered but the questions that prompt understanding.
Then how to craft the presentation for the audience is far more important that previously considered. It is not only including who, what, when and how, but do you see what the artist intended, do you see the effect he wanted to produce in you the viewer? That is the defining note of a good docent!

Tour with newer docents following

The second tour of yesterday's activities included two newer docents who were following me to view my version of an American tour. There was a large group of visitors who were receptive and followed me throughout the entire time. Additionally several other visitors to the Gallery joined in during the tour. I was actively sharing my thoughts and did not however ask the visitors many questions. It is as aspect that I have been grappling with for a while. Engaging visitors can be very satisfying for everybody and gives the docent a chance to judge the groups interests. There are several ways to do this and it entails carefully crafting the presentation to set up the questions. Viewers can be intimidated if they are not carefully led into the dialog process. My failure to use more queries yesterday could have been because there were the 2 newer docents following me. I am not sure. The American tour is one I like very much and we have many wonderful art objects to choose from for a well rounded presentation. The audience at the end of the tour was extremely appreciative and thanked me profusely. It seems that I am my worst critic.

First entry.

Today I led two tours, the first a general introduction to the Gallery is given in the hopes of enticing the visitors to continue viewing the art objects. As a guide you hope to engage the guests to look and examine the items you present. The groups today were anxious to entertain the ideas I presented them, agreeing with my remarks and also by injecting their own opinions. It is at that point that the tour becomes alive. You can sense their involvement with the items being discussed. However there are times when the audience is more pensive and less vocal. The groups dynamics are always to be sensed carefully so that you can direct their attention.