EUGENE–The University of Oregon Museum of Art is looking for enthusiastic volunteers willing to complete a training program that will prepare them to share their knowledge and love of art with museum visitors of all ages.

Applications for the docent program’s fall training class are now available. Interviews of applicants will take place during May, and the nine-month training will begin in late September.

The museum’s docent program started in 1956 and has become an integral part of the museum’s educational mission. Over the years the docent program has trained more than 300 volunteers and currently has 60 active members.

Docents learn about the history of the UO Museum of Art, its collections and exhibitions. They receive training on presentation techniques through weekly workshops and lectures.

Following training, docents share their knowledge with visitors through guided tours and community outreach visits. The Museum of Art offers a number of tours for the public including K-12 school groups and as well as visitors with disabilities.

The Museum of Art, 1430 Johnson Lane on the UO campus, houses an extensive permanent collection of Asian as well as contemporary Northwest and American art. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, it also attracts a number of significant national and international traveling exhibitions each year.

Accessible to people with disabilities, the Museum of Art is open to the public from noon to
8 p.m. on Wednesdays and from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Docent-led tours are scheduled at 2 p.m. Sundays and also are available by appointment.

Suggested museum admission is $3 for the general public and free with current identification for all students, UO faculty and staff, and museum members. Every Wednesday during MusEvenings! the museum is open free to all from 5—8 p.m.

To request a docent application or for more information about the program, call Deborah Carl, the museum’s outreach coordinator, (541) 346-0968. For general information about the museum, browse http://uoma.uoregon.edu or call 346-3027.

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