Who Are We?
The Los Altos Art Docents are a distinctive group of trained volunteers, who teach art in a manner which expands and motivates the development of creativity and curiosity in the children of the Los Altos School District. Our program involves the imagination of the child and increases his and her technical skills in the creation of art.
How We Came About?
The Los Altos Art Docent program was co-founded in the spring of 1970 by Nancy Marston and Marlene Grove. Frustrated by funding cuts for art instruction in the public schools, the two co-founders were determined to keep art in the schools. They were joined by 25 other women, who vowed, in the words of the group's mission statement, "to stimulate, at an early age, a child's awareness of art and to help her or him understand its processes through appreciation and participation."
The art docent program has grown from the first 27 volunteers who taught 88 classes a year to a group of 80+ volunteers that teaches over 600 classes a year to seven elementary schools in the Los Altos School District. Three docents have been active in the program for more than 25 years: Betty Latta served for 27 years; Judy William served for 25 years; and Nancy Barnoski, who recently retired from the post of docent coordinator and a veteran of 25 years.
What Does It Take to Become An Art Docent?
If you like art and children, then you are a great candidate for becoming an art docent. No formal art education or teaching certification is necessary.
The program does requires a 2 year commitment. In the first year, docent trainees attend weekly training sessions. Hands-on lessons may involve the use of a wide range of media including watercolor, tempera, pastel, clay, pen, pencil, etc. Art appreciation lessons cover different genres, from landscape to still life to historic events, and different movements including abstract, impressionism, fauvism, surealism, etc. The training is intellectually stimulating, creative, and fun, and takes place in a district classsroom where friendship and camaraderie are fostered. See Training for more information.
During the second year, the docents put their training to work in the classroom. Depending on their interest, they select the type of lesson they want to teach in any of the seven elementary schools in the district.
The volunteer docents are generously rewarded by being a part of this program. All docents attend monthly meetings where business is discussed and programs are presented. Social activities and field trips offer more ways for the group to interact and support one another. The largest reward, however, is being in the classrooms with the children, encouraging their interest, participation and enjoyment of art.
