Docents are specially educated Volunteers who facilitate tour experiences for visiting groups of all ages. Each year, the AGH welcomes over 8,000 visitors for discovery tours, adult touring groups and public tours several times a week. All of which would not be possible without our knowledgeable and much-appreciated Docents happily donating their time and bringing art to life for everyone they meet. Docent Dialogue, a regular feature of the AGH Magazine, introduces some of these dedicated individuals to our readers.
Meet Mary Macdougall!
Along with being a docent, Mary also volunteers at the Visitor Services Desk – many of you will recognize her as the first face you see when you arrive! Mary won the Jordan Livingston Outstanding Fundraising Award this year at our 2018 Volunteer Awards ceremony for her outstanding contributions in recruiting new AGH Members at the Visitor Services Desk!
Length of time you’ve been a Docent: 2 years.
Life prior to Volunteering at the Gallery: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences, McMaster University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Favourite work from the AGH Collection to share with visitors: Generally all.
Most memorable tour: All have been interesting.
Something that has surprised you about being a Docent: The amount of knowledge one needs to conduct a tour: information about the current exhibitions as well as semi-permanent installations, plus you need to consider differing tour strategies and teaching dynamics for children and adults.
If you could have dinner with three artists (of any era), they would be: Anyone from antiquity.
Favourite local artists: Christina Sealey, Catherine Gibbon and Paul Rodrigues.
Best kept Hamilton secret: The AGH!!! Time and time again (I also volunteer at Visitor Services), I find people are amazed at the quality of the exhibitions and had no idea what they would find before they came in.
