Source: Katherine Schlageck, 785-532-7718, klwalk@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Beth Buchanan, 785-532-7718, bethb@k-state.edu
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
K-STATE'S BEACH MUSEUM OF ART SEEKS VOLUNTEERS TO LEAD TOURS
MANHATTAN -- Expansion of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University brings with it the need for more volunteer docents to share their love of art with visitors.
When the museum's new galleries open this fall, staff expects demand for tours and programs to increase. The museum needs personable art enthusiasts to assist the senior educator with tours and outreach programs for all ages.
These volunteer positions do not require a wide knowledge of art or art history. Training will begin in August and continue until mid-March. The course work is extensive, but it prepares prospective docents to give meaningful and accurate information about the museum's collection.
After training, the docents may choose the type of audience they prefer and how much time they wish to commit.
"I love working with children and seeing their faces when they connect with art," said Nancy Prawl, a current docent. "When you can relate, that's lots of fun."
Prawl has been a docent since the museum opened in 1996. She volunteers up to 10 hours in some months and very little in other months. The flexible schedule is nice, but the best part is the variety of activities in the museum, she said.
"The museum is a teaching building as much as the art studio or the engineering building is," she said. "It is an important part of the university as a whole."
For more information about the docent program, contact Katherine Schlageck, senior educator, at 785-532-7718 or klwalk@k-state.edu.
For more information about the Beach Museum of Art, call 785-532-7718 or drop by the museum at 14th Street and Anderson Avenue. Admission is free, and complimentary visitor parking is available. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 1-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The museum is closed Mondays.