Some things in the museum world are truly shocking, and what happened this summer at the Hirshhorn Museum–which is now just coming to light–is truly a shame. The museum, it seems, decided it no longer needed its docents. Why? Because they’re generally older women, and they “are for the most part being replaced with younger volunteers who are interested in museum careers,” according to an article in the Oct. 30 Washington Post.
Hirshhorn officials say the change was needed to keep up with the times. Visitors don’t want formal tours anymore; they want casual interactions with staff who can talk about the work and ‘help them understand it better. And guides need to be in the gallery frequently to do this well.
Kristy Maruca, the museum’s manager of education, described the change as a merger of the docents and “interpretive guides,†a group of four younger volunteers who work 12 hours a week, some for college credit. She received 20 applications for the first four-month Gallery Guide cycle, which requires volunteers work 15 hours a week. Ten were accepted, including three students earning college credit. So far, three have dropped out.
“It’s the best thing for our visitors,†Maruca explained, adding that she no longer has the time to run both programs.
But here may be a rub:
“It was done in a very rude, very uncouth way,†said Florence Brodkey of Arlington, a docent for 12 years who said the volunteers were called to a meeting in August and told of the changes that would go into effect the next month. “It was disrespectful and insensitive.â€
“There are women who are still there from the first class of docents, lots of old-timers who love the collection and love the museum,†said Laurie Nakamoto of Arlington, a docent for 35 years.
More details at that link. The volunteers don’t seem to be completely blameless here. Maruca said that they averages just a few hours of volunteering a month. That is too little. Most volunteer opportunities that I know of require a half-day a week, sometimes more.
Back in 2009, I heralded the work of volunteers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, some of whom seemed to exhibit an almost cult-like devotion. At the time, the Met very much appreciated its volunteers, and I can only hope it still does. They were required to work one day a week, however. The commitment was real on both sides.
Meanwhile, the Post offered this for comparison:
Many other Smithsonian museums continue to have docent programs… The National Air and Space Museum is recruiting for a docent class that will begin training in the fall of 2015. After completing 11 weeks of training, volunteers must agree to sign on for two years of at least eight hours a month in the galleries. The Freer and Sackler Galleries just recruited a new docent class that will train from September until next June. After passing a qualifying tour next summer, docents must commit to two years of at least 24 tours a year, as well as attending two-hour training sessions several times a month. The National Museum of African Art asks docents to give 60 hours a year; the National Postal Museum requires 20 hours a year and a two-year commitment. The National Museum of American History offers weekday and weekend docent programs that require a year commitment and one 90-minute shift each week or two weekend shifts a month.
Whatever went wrong at the Hirshhorn, it could, perhaps should, be fixed–though with more commitment from the volunteer docents.