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Crossroads 2024

 

Date

April 17, 2024

Host

Glencairn Museum

Speaker
Lauren Stichter

Topic
Accessible Practices in Museum Education

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

Events

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.

About US

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.

Membership

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!

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