ORANGE COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Orange County Museum of Art is to champion and interpret the art and culture of our time for a diverse and changing community. The museum is guided by the conviction that exhibitions and programs should link historical and contemporary art, bridge local and global cultures, and inspire the sense of inquiry, creativity, and imagination within all people.
EDUCATION & PUBLIC PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the OCMA’s Education Department is to provide engaging educational and public programs which deepen the audiences’ experience of the museum’s exhibitions and collection and support its mission.
The Education Department accomplishes this by offering programs that promote inquiry and discovery, explore historical and contemporary art and ideas, connect artists and audiences, link the community to local and global art and culture, actively engage audiences and encourage lifelong learning.
The Orange County Museum of Art
Historical Overview
The Orange County Museum of Art is the premier visual arts organization in Orange County, California, serving a population of nearly 3 million residents in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. Critically acclaimed exhibitions organized by the museum, such as the nationally touring, Girls’ Night Out, together with the Orange Lounge, a new media space at South Coast Plaza, draw over 125,000 visitors annually. Some 30,000 children and adults participate in hands-on award-winning education programs. The museum’s collection contains a concentration on the art of California from the early 20th century to the present.
Originally founded in 1962 as the Newport Harbor Art Museum, the museum changed its name in 1996 to better reflect its desire to serve Orange County. The museum is especially noted for organizing important exhibitions of contemporary art including the first surveys of Vija Celmins (1980), Chris Burden (1988), and Tony Cragg (1990), as well as major exhibitions of work by Lari Pittman (1983), Gunther Forg (1989), Charles Ray (1990), Guillermo Kuitca (1992), Bill Viola (1997), and Inigo Manglano-Ovalle (2003). Thematic exhibitions of contemporary art have ranged from Objectives: The New Sculpture (1990)—which presented the work of Grenville Davey, Katharina Fritsch, Robert Gober, Jeff Koons, Annette Lemieux, Juan Munoz, Julian Opie, and Haim Steinbach—to Girls’ Night Out (2003), which presented work by Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Elina Brotherus, Dorit Cypis, Rineke Dijkstra, Katy Grannan, Sarah Jones, Kelly Nipper, Daniela Rossell, Shirana Shahbazi, and Salla Tykka.
In 1984, the Museum launched the California Biennial, which has grown to become the premier exhibition for emerging artists in the state. The museum has co-organized exhibitions with the Renaissance Society, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Grey Art Gallery, and its exhibitions have traveled to more than 20 museums here and abroad over the last decade.
In addition to its significant contributions to the field of contemporary art, the museum has also organized and hosted important exhibitions of modern art and design such as Edvard Munch, Expressionist Paintings 1900-1940 (1983), The Interpretive Link: Abstract Surrealism into Abstract Expressionism, Works on Paper, 1938-1948 (1986), The Figurative Fifties: New York Figurative Expressionism (1988), Edward Hopper: Selections from the Whitney Museum of American Art (1991), American Modern, 1925-1940: Design for a New Age (2001), Light Screens: The Leaded Glass of Frank Lloyd Wright (2003), and Surrealism and Modernism: Modern Masterpieces from the Collection of the Wadsworth Atheneum (2004).
ORANGE COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART
EDUCATION & PUBLIC PROGRAMS
DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
OCMA Education and Public Programs provide engaging educational and public programs which deepen audiences’ experiences of both the museum’s special exhibitions and its permanent collection. All of the education and public programs support OCMA’s overarching mission to:
Link historical and contemporary art and ideas
Bridge local and global perspectives
Embrace a diverse array of cultural activities and media
The three main areas of the Education and Public Programs Department and its programs are:
SCHOOL AND TOURS PROGRAMS
Tours and training of docents and gallery interns
Teacher programs and school liaison
Curriculum development and delivery in print and on-line publications
Teen after-school programs and internships
PUBLIC AND INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS
Public lectures, artist talks, panel discussions and symposia
Courses for adult audiences
Orange Crush after hours programs, film and video screenings and other special events
Print and web-based gallery guides and interpretive materials
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Family Arts Days
Artists’ Residencies
Liaison to art schools, colleges, universities and other community organizations
STAFF
Curator of Collections &
Director of Education & Public Programs Karen Moss
Associate Director of Education and Public Programs Kristine Bowen
Manager, School and Tour Programs Jenni Stenson
Manager, Interpretive Programs and Educational Media Timothy Tompkins
Studio Artist and Classroom Coordinator Andrea Dominguez
Education and Public Programs Assistant Kelly Bishop
Intern Procedures
Assigned Work Space
The intern will be given an inbox to keep his/her projects organized. Space is limited in the museum and a desk and computer cannot be guaranteed. Interns will be given desk assignments according to their schedule.
Notification of Absence/Schedule Changes/Vacation
The intern and Education and Public Programs Assistant will determine a schedule that works for both the staff and intern at the beginning of the internship. If the intern is not able to come in on a scheduled day, they should email the Education and Public Programs Assistant ( HYPERLINK mail to: ) by 9:00 a.m. The intern is responsible for finding a substitute for their duties in all cases unless otherwise notified by the Education and Public Programs Assistant. Failure to find a substitute will result in a write-up. Three write-ups will result in the termination of the internship.
If the intern must make a temporary or permanent change to the schedule, they should talk to the Education and Public Programs Assistant before doing so.
If the intern needs time off, they must fill out a vacation/leave request found on the corkboard in the education office. Once signed the Education and Public Programs Assistant, the School and Tour Programs Manager, and the Tour Captain, the form must be submitted to Education and Public Programs Assistant. Also, the intern is responsible for finding a substitute for their duties in all cases unless otherwise notified by the Education and Public Programs Assistant.
Intern Time Sheets
The intern will log their hours on an OCMA Intern Time Sheet. Under project description, interns must record the specific task they work on each day. Failure to do so will risk their pay for that day. These time sheets will be given to the Education and Public Programs Assistant by the end of the pay period (dates will be posted on the intern blog and noted as reminders in the weekly updates). Before turning attendance sheets in, please make a copy for your own records. On each time sheet, your name, address, and social security number should be included. If they are not submitted promptly by the end of the pay period, they will not be processed.
Intern Expectations/Tour Guidelines
Interns will be assigned projects throughout their internships. These projects are expected to be completed in a timely manner.
For exhibitions, interns are required to attend the curatorial/artist walkthrough and the exhibition briefing. Tour scripts for exhibitions will be assigned a due date. Failure to produce a tour script by that due date may result in termination of the internship.
Tour Blog
The tour blog provides museum education, touring, and employment resources. The intern schedule is posted there every Monday. You are responsible for checking the intern blog and knowing your schedule for each day you are in the office. The blog can be found at http://ocmatours.net, with information specific to interns on the left sidebar under “interns.”
Intern Weekly updates
Interns will be sent weekly updates from the Education and Public Programs Assistant via email every Wednesday by 5:00. Included in the updates will be important reminders such as end of pay periods/due dates for intern time sheets. Interns are responsible for reading these email updates and coming prepared with any questions or concerns on their next working day.
Dress Code
As a tour guide or someone working on a program for the public, you are often a visitor's first impression of the museum. We want that impression to be professional and polished.
Acceptable Dress
Men: Collared shirts or sweaters and slacks or nice jeans
Women: Blouses, sweaters, or tops with skirts, pants, or nice jeans
Unacceptable Dress
-Clothing that is torn, stained, or frayed
-Clothing that has words, terms, or images that may be offensive
-Jogging Suits or sweatsuits
-Hooded Sweatshirts
-Hats/Caps/Doo Rags
-Flip-Flops
-Shorts
-Revealing Attire
If you are unclear about what qualifies as acceptable dress, please ask the Education and Public Programs Assistant.
Museum Name Badge
Each intern will receive a museum name badge. The name badge should be worn at all times when the intern is interacting with the public. The name badge also allows the intern free admission into most museums.
Orange County Museum of Art Employee Time Sheet
Pay Date (mark one):
q Beginning of month
q End of Month
TOTAL HOURS: ______
To receive payment, timesheets must be completed, signed by the employee, and approved by the supervisor prior to 5:00 p.m. on the scheduled due date.
Employee Name: ______
Employee Signature: ______
Supervisor’s Signature: ______
VACATION/LEAVE REQUEST
Employee Name: ______
Supervisor Approval: ______
I would like to have the following days off:
______
Please record these dates as:
_____ Vacation
_____ Sick Leave
_____ Civic Duty Leave
_____ Other (please specify)
Tour Program Goals
The Orange County Museum of Art defines its mission as interpreting the art and culture of our time for a diverse and changing community. The museum is guided by the conviction that exhibitions and programs should link historical and contemporary art, bridge local and global cultures, and inspire the sense of inquiry, creativity, and imagination within all people.
The Tour Program supports this mission by:
Promoting inquiry and discovery
Exploring connections between historical and contemporary art
Serving as a link between the community and global art and culture
Creating opportunities for stimulating and participatory experiences
The Tour Program is guided by the belief that it is rewarding to spend time with works of art, that inquiry leads to discovery, and that well-researched information and making connections between artworks deepens understanding.
A University Tour Guide facilitates meaningful encounters with the collection by:
Creating a space of engagement with art
Inviting discussion
Inspiring looking to learn
Extending visitor understanding
A successful tour contains meaningful interaction and informative insights – attuned to meet specific audience goals as described below.
School Audiences:
Goals:
To engage students in making discoveries about works of art through guided looking and inquiry.
To encourage students to look closely and use their own observations to actively construct meaning, make connections, and explore ideas about art and culture.
To enrich student understanding with key information, and teach concepts they can draw from in future experiences with art.
To relate to classroom curriculum and support state learning standards for the visual arts.
To provide a variety of participation opportunities for diverse learners such as discussion, writing, or drawing activities.
To make students feel welcome and comfortable at the museum, and to teach museum-going skills.
Key indicators of a successful school tour:
Students speak more than tour guide.
Students make discoveries by looking closely and draw conclusions based on evidence found in work of art.
All students are actively involved in tour; students are engaged, participating, sharing ideas, and asking questions.
Students continue to talk about works of art after completion of tour and express desire to return to museum with friends or family to share what they’ve learned.
Tour meets or exceeds teacher expectations for enriched learning experience.
Adult Audiences:
Goals:
To engage visitor in making discoveries about works of art through guided looking and inquiry.
To show connections between works of art and provide information that expands visitor understanding.
To create participatory opportunities for visitors to make observations, share knowledge, and exchange ideas.
To teach concepts and ideas that visitor can draw from to look further independently.
To make visitor feel welcome and at ease in the museum.
Key indicators of a successful public tour:
Visitors stay with tour guide, look closely at art work, answer and ask questions.
Visitors enjoy making observations, and convey interest in information.
Visitor expresses a change of opinion about or new appreciation for art.
Visitors continue looking after tour, or express desire to return with friends or family.
Visitors leave feeling they know more than when they entered, and better prepared for future visits.
Tour guides teach not only about specific works of art but also how to look at art. Above all, our visitors should leave a tour feeling rewarded for spending time with works of art in our museum.
TOURING PROCEDURES
►Tour Captain (TC)
The School and Tour Programs Manager or Education and Public Programs Assistant keeps the Tour Captain updated about upcoming tours. The Tour Captain is CAPITALIZED on the Tour Schedule.
It is the Tour Captain’s responsibility to call the school/group to confirm their tour one week prior. If the tour is canceled, please immediately notify School and Tour Programs at (949) 759-1122 x 204.
Confirm tour with the visiting group’s contact person one week prior to tour date. Refer to the Tour Captain Phone Script for more information. Emphasize that one chaperone must attend for every 10 students, and that all students should wear name tags. Share any additional information about the group with others touring.
Tour Captain should double check with the School and Tour Programs Manager one week before tour day.
Notify Education and the School and Tour Programs Manager of any tour cancellation or changes.
On the day of the tour, the Tour Captain arrives to the Museum at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the tour.
The Tour Captain meets with others touring prior to the tour to establish tour flow and other logistical concerns.
The Tour Captain checks Gallery Activities bags to be sure they are ready for touring, when appropriate. All elementary tours should integrate at least 2 Gallery Activities. Stock a bag with enough Gallery Activity Guides and sharpened pencils for your group to use.