November 1, 2014

Major Washington museum dumps its docents

Washington Post -  The Hirshhorn disbanded its docent program in August and replaced it with a new Gallery Guides initiative that is similar to the internship program it also ran. As a result, many of the docents, who are retired, are for the most part being replaced with younger volunteers who are interested in museum careers. Without even a proper thank you, the docents say they have been robbed of one of life’s great pleasures.

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.

1 comment:

Laird Wilcox said...

Progress claims more victims. Who needs these old people any more when there are young people who do what they are told waiting in the wings for a position.