Crossroads 2024
Date
April 17, 2024
Host
Glencairn Museum
Speaker
Lauren Stichter
Topic
Accessible Practices in Museum Education
Exterior and Interior photos of Glencairn Museum
Exterior and Interior photos of Glencairn Museum
Penn Museum
Penn Museum
November 7 at the James A. Michener Art Museum
Penn Museum
CONNECTING WITH THE DOCENT COMMUNITY
Three meetings are held each year: fall, winter, and spring, at various member institutions throughout the region. Usually two docents from each organization are invited to attend. Following a short business meeting, docents break into small groups to discuss the meeting's suggested guide-related topic. Each participant is invited to share the practices and customs pertinent to his/her establishment. Recent discussion topics have included: "The Museum of the Future: it's coming. How can we be ready?"; "Enriching Lives–Special Audiences"; "Touring Successes–Best Ideas"; "Making Everyone Better–Docent Evaluations"; "Cross-Pollination: What's up at your place? An interchange of ideas".
A biennial day-long meeting called Crossroads provides a forum for more participants, usually five guides per institution. A speaker is invited to provide insights regarding the chosen topic, lunch is served, and small discussion groups are formed.
MEETING MINUTES
Jan 16, 2024
Sept 20, 2023
Feb 28, 2023
WHO WE ARE
The Greater Philadelphia Area Docent Consortium (GPADC) is an organization of docents from Philadelphia area museums and diverse institutions where guides are utilized. Our purpose is to share information on docent issues and to strengthen the cognizance of the inclusive culture of our region.
ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY
In October 1999, the National Docent Symposium was held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In preparation for the Symposium, a committee was formed to coordinate visits for the NDS members to various cultural institutions with a docent program in the greater Philadelphia area. A lively and interesting exchange of views and practices ensued as a result of this docent communication network. Thus, in 2000, the committee founded the GPADC to perpetuate this forum.
Current Members
Our GPADC institution membership continues to expand, and we currently have 35 organizations enrolled. They include not only encyclopedic museums, but also historic houses, cultural institutions, and arboretums. Institutional qualifications for membership include a functioning docent/guide program and location within the greater Philadelphia area.
The complete list of our member organizations includes:
ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF
DREXEL UNIVERSITY
AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM IN PHILADELPHIA
THE BARNES FOUNDATION
BUCKS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
(MERCER MUSEUM AND FONTHILL CASTLE)
CARPENTERS' HALL
DELAWARE ART MUSEUM
EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA/
ROSENBACH MUSEUM AND LIBRARY
GLENCAIRN MUSEUM
GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE
HAGLEY MUSEUM
JENKINS ARBORETUM AND GARDENS
LAUREL HILL CEMETERY
MEADOWBROOK FARM
MICHENER ART MUSEUM
MORRIS ARBORETUM
MURAL ARTS PHILADELPHIA
MUTTER MUSEUM
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
NATIONAL MARIAN ANDERSON MUSEUM
PAUL ROBESON HOUSE
PEARL S BUCK INTERNATIONAL
PENN MUSEUM
PHILADELPHIA LANDMARKS
PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART - WEEKDAY GUIDES
PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART - WEEKEND GUIDES
PHILADELPHIA ZOO
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM
SHOFUSO JAPANESE HOUSE AND GARDEN
UNION LEAGUE LEGACY FOUNDATION
WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM
OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY
WHARTON ESHERICK MUSEUM
WINTERTHUR MUSEUM
WOODMERE ART MUSEUM
For more
information
SAY HELLO
If you would like to become a member, attend the next meeting or just want to learn more, please contact us!