Docent Program

Open Opportunity

About

Elisabet Ney was a bonafide iconoclast. Thoughtful, eccentric, brilliant, and worldly, she had an impact on nearly everyone she encountered. To this day, people are deeply touched by her remarkable story and by Formosa, the amazing Austin home and studio in which she lived. Help us tell her story—and the kaleidoscope of stories that swirl around her—by becoming an Elisabet Ney Museum Docent!

When you join this program, you'll get the opportunity to attend thought-provoking events, focused on Ney's biography, her prolific body of art, and her sculpting processes. We'll discuss broader interpretations of her work within the scope of art history, pedagogical practices and preservation standards. You'll learn about Ney's profound and lasting impact on the then-young city of Austin and the State itself. Architectural history, Enlightenment to Post-Modern Philosophy, Intellectual Romanticism, European Nationalism, gender politics and Suffragism--all are topics we touch on in visits to the Ney. Thanks to our beautifully-recreated historic landscape, we even talk about regional ecology, native vs. invasive plants, bugs and wildflowers! Lots and lots of wildflowers.

As a volunteer, you can conduct monthly tours or serve as a museum educator in the gallery or on our nature trail. You can also help with terrific family events such as Ney Day, Portraiture in the Park, and the Polkapocalypse! In exchange, you'll enjoy additional benefits of attending fun and educational gatherings organized just for you and your fellow docents. Field trips to other sites will also be offered. You'll be among the first to know about great events coming up. There will be monthly potlucks hosted at the museum, which will allow you to share new information as well as storytelling tricks, tips, tales, and practices. And, of course, you'll get to meet all the other interesting people that have found their “second home” here at Formosa!

If you're ready to become a volunteer, or are simply curious, give us a call! We're at 512-458-2255. Or you can email us at ney@austintexas.gov. “Like” us on Facebook! Message us on Twitter! However you do it, we look forward to hearing from you soon!
Approval
Organizer will approve registrants
Age Limit
12 and up
Requirement Details
- Volunteer Application and Waiver
- City of Austin CBI Form
Perks
- Engage with other museum professionals at monthly pot lucks
- Get free admission to all events at the Elisabet Ney Museum
- Recieve Elisabet Ney Museum Memorabilla
Parking Details
Street Parking available on 44th St.
GivePulse
77 Positions Filled | 8 Impacts | 17 Hours