Gallery Guide Program:

Maude Kerns Art Center is currently accepting applications and training will be beginning (please check with office. All those interested should immediately contact Maude Kerns Art Center's Operations Manager Jessica Foote by phone at (541) 345-1571, or by e-mail at jessica@mksartcenter.com .

The new Gallery Guide Program at Maude Kerns Art Center is an exciting opportunity for volunteers to learn about art and gain experience in museum education. Gallery Guides will receive hands-on training on various museum education pedagogies and will have the opportunity to attend several training in conjunction with the University of Oregon Museum of Art.

Gallery Guides will attend weekly meetings on Wednesday from 5:00-6:00pm, the first of which will be held on (please check with office). These meetings will provide information about museum education pedagogy such as visual thinking strategies and Inquiry-Discussion techniques. Gallery Guides will keep notebooks and binders, creating their own guidebook through each session.

In addition to the weekly meetings, Gallery Guides will be required to sign up for at least two hours of gallery sitting each week during gallery hours (Monday - Friday 10:00 am -5:30 pm, Saturday 12:00 - 4:00 pm) Through this service to the Art Center, Gallery Guides will provide extra security by monitoring the galleries and artwork. In addition, this time allows for Guides to prepare for their tours, becoming familiar with the artwork in the gallery. Having Gallery Guides on hand will also be helpful if visitors stop in and want information about the exhibit.

After the initial training period, each Gallery Guide will be asked to commit to leading one tour each month. As part of the preparation for the tour, guides will review materials about the artists and artworks. When possible, the artists themselves will meet with the Gallery Guides to give explanations of their artwork.

As the program becomes more established, schools, senior centers and other community organizations will be contacted so that they are aware of this service MKAC will provide to the community. Family workshops and guided visits will also be a feature of the expanded future programming. The Gallery Guide Program is a means to get more people involved in the art and exhibits at the Art Center, extending MKAC's commitment to the community.

The Maude Kerns Art Center, located at 1910 E. 15th Avenue (just east of the Bean dormitories), is Eugene's oldest non-profit community center for the visual arts. Gallery hours are from 10 am – 5:30 pm, Monday – Friday, and noon to 4:00 pm on Saturday when exhibits are on display. For more information, call (541) 345-1571.

The Gallery Guide application is here.