Perhaps it’s the holiday season that has me thinking about elves. Although at the Woodson Art Museum, elves really are busy year round.
The elf vision that pops into my mind now – along with sugar plum fairies – is the magic-making variety. I’m specifically thinking this time of year about the Museum’s volunteer docents, who are responsible for magic-making experiences for visiting groups of all ages.
On Sunday evening, Museum staff hosted the docent corps at Thrive for a high-spirited dinner and opportunity for us to collectively thank this important group for its dedication and service throughout the year.
We enjoyed one another’s company, shared news of loved ones and holiday plans, and looked ahead to dynamic exhibitions as well as to the immediate demands of Forest Folklore: A Multisensory Experience and American Impressionism: The Lure of the Artists’ Colony. Those demands loomed large, with docent training – the next preparatory step – scheduled for the following morning.
Educators Catie Anderson and Lisa Hoffman along with Forest Folklore artist Ann Cunningham greeted docents enthusiastically on Monday morning and three-plus hours later, the corps – a.k.a. magic-making elves – was ready for the challenges ahead.
First up, some 700 PreK through first-grade students will experience Forest Folklore this week and next in the company of Ann Cunningham and docents, who will work to ensure that happy Woodson Art Museum memories are dancing in the heads of these young visitors this holiday season.
This month and every month, I’m grateful for the time and talents of our docents who, like holiday elves, make magic happen at the Woodson Art Museum.
