The Museum Experience as Interpreted by Docents at the Centre Furnace Mansion
Open Access
- Author:
- Gomboc-turyan, Julie Lynne
- Graduate Program:
- Art Education
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- November 21, 2014
- Committee Members:
- Christine M Thompson, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
- Keywords:
- Docent
Museum
Art Education
Centre Furnace
Motivation
Learning - Abstract:
- Museums have gained a major role in the world of entertaining and educational experiences in the twenty-first century. Museum directors, curators, and educators now compete for visitors against zoos, aquariums, and even theme parks. Museums are continually expanding their portfolio of services to include educational programming, interactive exhibitions, and customized tours and walkthroughs by trained docents. This study explores the effects that museum docents have on the visitor experience at the Centre Furnace Mansion in State College, PA. The Centre Furnace Mansion currently staffs 17 volunteer docents ranging from 23 years of age to 92. The staff is primarily female, with the oldest docent being the only male. The longest serving docent has been volunteering at the Mansion for 20 years. Falk (2009) asserts that while museums have always been curious about the motivations behind their visitors, that these motivations have a more critical impact economically and socially than ever before. Analysis of visitor demographics is fundamental to begin exploring visitor patterns and emerging data. Falk goes deeper into the global relationship between museum and visitor by documenting the Museum Visitor Experience Model (Falk, 2009). This study utilized extensive site research and employed a survey approach to identify key motivational factors in the ongoing search and maintenance of a volunteer docent staff in the museum setting. In particular, the Centre Furnace Mansion docent staff participated in an informational survey to provide insight into their current reflections on the viability of current museum layout, flow, education, and exhibitions.