Members of the Visitor Services Guides team have varied backgrounds and knowledge bases. Each member of the team brings something new and unique to the table. When the museum was closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the team were asked to use those skills in different departments. Assisting with various projects helped to enhance their institutional knowledge.
The Visitor Services Guides met weekly to learn more about the museum’s collection and to report our work in different departments. We also established a separate “Art Talk” meeting, during which we had in-depth discussions about pieces in the collection. We discussed how they were created, who the artist was/is, what time period it was made, etc. It was a great way to make sure we were prepared with the tools and information needed to engage in meaningful conversations as we anticipated the return of visitors to the galleries.
I have enjoyed being a part of the Visitor Services Guide team. Being the front-facing communicators of the museum is an important job. We are the ones who answer questions, engage with visitors, provide information, and ensure an enjoyable experience. The closure of the museum was difficult for the team. Being in the galleries and interacting with visitors is a core part of the Visitor Services Guide position. It is very refreshing to have the museum doors open again, we hope to see you in the galleries this winter!
–Tala Wilson, Visitor Services Manager
When the Hood Museum shut down in March 2020, the Visitor Services Guide team was left wondering how we would stay relevant in our jobs without visitors in the museum. It ended up being an opportunity, to wear many “hats,” and take on projects that helped departments across the museum. I learned how to use videography equipment so that we could livestream classes, and I learned basic art handling skills so that I could monitor the art in our study center where I was filming. Without our scheduled Guide rotations, we were able to attend staff meetings and learn about the activities of the rest of the museum staff. The project I most enjoyed during our closure was acting as an in-house seamstress. Specifically, I worked on covers to prevent light damage for some of the art, created curtains for a video installation, and made extra masks.
We reopened to the public in August 2021, and it is really exciting to have visitors back in the museum. During the museum’s closure we had small groups of students that came through the museum for one-hour tours. Now, our visitors can wander through the gallery and take the time needed to experience the sounds and visuals involved in this installation.
–Katherine Armstrong, Visitor Services Guide
The 18 months that the Hood Museum of Art was closed to the public was a challenge for the entire staff, but especially, I believe, for the Visitor Services Guides. Among our responsibilities, undoubtedly our most important, is interacting with the public. Anyone who knows me, knows that I like to converse. There is a give and take of knowledge that is always going on and that was severely lacking during the closure. Since the museum reopened in August 2021, something that was missing has been fulfilled. I am looking forward to this renewed in-person connection.
–Daniel Nassau, Visitor Services Guide
A Visitor Services Guide is not simply a position centered around greeting the public at the front desk or showing them some important art pieces in the gallery. I believe Hood Museum Visitor Services Guides are the eyes and ears of the building. My tasks include, but are not limited to, managing the Hood Museum’s Bernstein Center for Object Study’s security, sending packages to staff members in a prompt manner, and making sure events which take place in the Atrium run smoothly.
When the Hood Museum was closed to the public from March 2020 to August 2021, I categorized donor files, conducted weekly reports on Dartmouth’s public sculptures, and made PowerPoint presentations about upcoming museum exhibits not seen by the public due to the pandemic. By serving as a building block for every other department in the museum, I am helping the Hood Museum succeed as one of Dartmouth’s primary cultural institutions.
–Arieh Fried, Visitor Services Guide
The ever-present duty of a Visitor Services Guide is multi-faceted. Not only is the task of a Guide to provide a positive and engaging experience for museum visitors, it is also to protect works of art from being damaged. This most often includes constantly surveying gallery spaces to observe the proximity of visitors to the artwork, monitoring gallery conditions, and weighing possible risks to the safety of the pieces on display.
At the Hood Museum of Art, our Visitor Services Guide team makes it the number one priority to preserve the wonderful works of art in our galleries, while continuing to provide a safe and inspiring experience for all guests.
–Grace Ross, Visitor Services Guide
I’ve worked in public-facing positions before, but that was all pre-COVID-19. With the changes that the pandemic has brought about – face masks, social distancing, regular testing, etc. – the experience of working in this type of position has changed dramatically. For me, one of the most notable differences is how I communicate with visitors. Communication is a universal aspect of customer service, the entirety of a visitor’s journey and experience with a venue is reliant on communication: the information they glean on our website, the signage they read, and their interactions with us when they visit or call. The ways in which we communicate with people will inform their experiences and their opinion of us. As many of my coworkers are fond of saying, “we are communicators.” I’ve discovered that the presence of face masks has encouraged creative modes of communication. For example, rather than merely smiling when we greet new visitors, our welcome focuses on body language with our entire demeanor taking the place of a relatively simple facial expression. Aside from the obvious stressors related to COVID-19, I find myself intrigued by the ways in which we’ve managed to adapt to each hurdle and exceed expectations. While it is true that navigating through the changes resulting from the pandemic can often be difficult, I am excited to find ways to embrace the new normal and to continually improve visitors’ experiences with us, especially in the realm of communication.
–Ashley Todt, Visitor Services Guide
This is my first time working in a museum. I love my work as a Visitor Services Guide and am grateful for the opportunity to be a steward of the Hood and its inspiring, eclectic, international collections. As a working artist with an MFA, I enjoy my role as a resource for our visitors regarding the techniques, context, and meaning of the works they encounter.
–Deborah Jayne, Visitor Services Guide
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