Docent Program
Docents are volunteer educators. The name comes from the Latin word docere which means “to teach.” Docents function in museums of all kinds all over the world and serve as the “face” of a museum for many of its visitors.
The docent program at the Snite Museum of Art is unique in that docents work with visitors both at the Snite and the South Bend Museum of Art (SBMA). Docents lead visitors of all ages on tours designed to be interactive and engaging and also assist with hands on activities.
Who Can Be a Docent?
You can! Do you have…
 An interest in being part of something larger than yourself?
A sincere interest in people of differing ages, backgrounds,
life experiences, and points of view?
A general interest in art?
A desire to stretch yourself, learn new things, and grow
from new experiences?
An interest in creating opportunities for people of all ages
to experience art in exciting and fun ways?
The ability and willingness to work as part of a team?
If you responded with an enthusiastic “Yes!” to the above questions, you have the potential to make a great docent!
What are the benefits of being a Snite/SBMA docent?
- • Serving the community by providing access–through tours and other education programs–to the rich collections of the Snite and the SBMA to people of all ages.
- • Behind-the-scenes access to two outstanding museums via private talks, exhibition previews, and presentations from educators, scholars, and artists.
- • Increasing your knowledge and appreciation of art, history, and culture.
- • Meeting new people who share your interests.
- • Access to hot-off-the-press (and free!) publications from both the Snite and the SBM
What are the requirements of being a Snite/SBMA docent?
- • Attendance at all initial training sessions
- • A two-year commitment to the program upon completion of training
- • Devoting at least three tour days to each museum each year
- • Upon completion of the initial training, attendance at ongoing training meetings three times/month
Snite/SBMA Docent Training
Docents training occurs over a period of approximately nine months. Class sessions are held on Mondays for half a day. The training covers everything you need to be prepared to help others experience art—including sessions on the history of art, the collections of the Snite and the SBMA, teaching techniques, and talks by museum staff.
The next docent training program will take place October 2011-June 2012. Please contact the Curator of Education, Public Programs via phone at 574-631-4435 or email for further information.
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