Wednesday, May 31, 2023

As we come to the end of our time working at the Wellin, I thought it would be a great opportunity for some of us docents to reflect on our experiences. As a group, we are all thankful for the opportunity to work at such a welcoming place and to learn so much from the art, the staff, students and even the safety officers! I think I speak for all of us when I say that we will miss working at the greeter desk or walking around the gallery waiting for a new visitor to arrive. 

Olivia Davis (Major: Economics Minors: Anthropology & Italian)

Working at the Wellin the past four years has been my favorite part of college. Working here has made me realize how much I have come to love and appreciate art and museum studies in general. The docent community and Wellin staff are so welcoming and I am so grateful to have made so many amazing friends. Every day at the Wellin is a chance to learn and I’m so lucky that I got to be a part of it! I will always remember and cherish the memories I have made with everyone there. 

Surya Gowda (Majors: Art & Government)

The past few years at the Wellin have given me a new insight into working collaboratively and sharing my love for art with the greater community. Becoming a docent in my sophomore year allowed me to develop my speaking skills and feel more comfortable in front of a group. This grew into a position as a student liaison assistant during my senior year, creating events for the greater school community. There is no other space like the Wellin, which makes it so unique. I have been able to make real relationships with the staff and share my perspective in actual museum decisions, and I don’t think I could ever find that at another art space. The Wellin has influenced the person I am today, and without the hours spent dressed in all black, ushering groups, and directing people to look closely at art, I don’t think I would see the world the same! I will miss the Wellin so much, and I can’t wait to visit and continue to see the museum prosper!

Shania Kuo (Majors: Sociology & Chinese)

I applied to the Wellin Museum docent position during the Spring 2021 semester on a whim. Visitors always seem surprised when I tell them I am a double major in Sociology and Chinese because of a common assumption that mostly fine arts students would work in an art museum. Over time, I saw the Wellin as a place where I could apply my sociological thinking beyond the classroom. One of my most memorable experiences was leading tours for first-years in the Introduction to Sociology courses. Guiding underclassmen was extremely fulfilling because as a first-year I did not see yet how welcoming the museum is for people like me who are first-gen and low-income. Beyond my time at Hamilton, I will continue to use the confidence and skills I developed at the Wellin as I pursue my doctorate in sociology. Although my undergraduate experience has been especially unique because of COVID, I am grateful I took the chance to become a docent and let the Wellin be part of my journey here. 

Joshua Zeledon (Majors: Government and French & Francophone Studies) 

I started working at the Wellin in my first year at Hamilton and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic and my year abroad, I was not personally inside the museum as much as I wanted to be. Nevertheless, I definitely feel like I made the most out of my senior year by participating in events such as Wellin Kids and Open Studio, signing up for various tours, and bonding with the staff and my co-workers. In fact, my most notable experience was giving a First Friday Focus Tour on The Mouths of Four Gorgons with none other than Julia Jacquette herself! I loved chatting with her through coffee and later formulating an interactive and collaborative tour. I gained so many skills working at the Wellin, particularly my public speaking skills and working in groups, and I will always encourage any underclassmen to apply. As you will see throughout this blog, we are an academically diverse group of docents and not all of us actually are art majors or artists. We just all share a love for art in our own ways. I will honestly always remember my family here at the Wellin and I will always have a deep respect for museums and all the hidden magic in them.