The Granville Museum Consortium invites area residents to participate in a joint docent program that will launch in June. The consortium, which was organized to pool resources with the collective mission of investigating and sharing culture and history from the local to the global, includes the Denison Museum at Denison University, Granville Historical Society Museum, Granville Lifestyle Museum, and the Robbins Hunter Museum/Avery Downer House.

The new docent program will enrich the experiences of current volunteers and encourage additional volunteerism. Docents will have access to special educational and social programs offered every other Monday during the year to come. Educational programs will be led by local and regional experts and university professors in such topics as Granville history, special touring exhibitions of contemporary Korean ceramics, Victorian culture, Greek revival architecture, wallpaper printing and designs of the past, tupperware design and the 1950’s kitchen, Babylonian cuneiform tablets, and Central American Indian artifacts. Docents also will have the opportunity to learn about the proper handling, conservation and care of historical materials and ancient artifacts.

These programs will support docents’ confidence in guiding tours of the historical structures and exhibitions offered at Granville museums and will include gallery guarding, special hosting duties, collections care and documentation, installation assistance and holiday decorating. Social activities such as day trips to other midwestern museums, holiday parties and other get-togethers will be organized. Docents will be encouraged to volunteer a modest number of hours at the museum(s) of their choice in exchange for participating.

To learn more about the Granville Museum Consortium docent program contact Amber Schott, assistant to the director of the Denison Museum, at 740-587-6225 or schotta@denison.edu. Interested individuals may join the docent program at any time. Additional contacts are: Ann Lowder, director, Robbins Hunter Museum/Avery Downer House, 740-587-0430; Natalie Marsh, director, Denison Museum, 740-587-5713; Don Schilling, president, Granville Historical Society, 740-587-3951; and Jodi Chiles, administrative assistant, Granville Historical Society, 740-587-3951.