Art Docents are so lucky to have great volunteers who are so giving of their time and knowledge.
Ellen joined the Art Docents in 2014 and has served on the Curriculum Committee for the past two years.
Meet Ellen O’Malley, in her own words, as she answers some of our questions below.
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How does volunteering for the Art Docents compare to other volunteer experiences you’ve had?
The Art Docents is truly a special organization filled with creative, kind, and compassionate people working towards a common goal of providing school children a world class art education. What I’ve learned through the Art Docent program has also helped and inspired me to work with our school clay program.
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Here is a link to some of the fun clay projects the children do:
Below is a sample of one the videos Ellen has made for the Clay Program.
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Why did you become an Art Docent?
A couple of friends told me about the Art Docents. I was hooked when I saw how engaged the children are while studying art. I wish I had learned these concepts when I was in grade school. Having worked in the tech field for a while, it has been refreshing to volunteer as a docent at both my daughters’ schools. It’s also been very rewarding to inspire the next generation in art.
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What is a favorite classroom memory ?
The children love art and they get so excited when you show them a print of a masterpiece and they get to share what they see. Some of my favorite moments are when a very shy child or a child who is new to the English language feels compelled to share and express to the class what they see. Art is open to interpretation so all expressions are correct and the kids love that!
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What’s your favorite lesson you’ve given and why?
My favorite part about teaching a lesson is when a student observes something about the artwork like, “Wow look at how fuzzy the rug is,” and I’m able to add “You’re right. Look at the texture in the rug,” and then the rest of the class starts pointing out and discussing the concept of textures in art. You can just see the students observe and appreciate the art in a new way. It’s also fun when you show or tell the class something specific about artwork and the teacher says, “I didn’t know that!”.
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Describe a memorable experience with the Art Docents.
The Art Docents sure know how to have fun! They have great parties, private museum tours and many activities for the volunteers. One of my favorite activities was a sketchbook class taught by a very talented docent, Julie Ferrario. I learned new techniques and was inspired by seeing what the other docents created. I enjoyed sharing some “art time” with my daughter who also attended the class.
