Student guides Brecklyn Rae Brown, Jocelyn Kirchen, Chelsea Persad, Maribeth Smith and Beth Coleman.
compare objects throughout the tour because all objects can tell a story.” Although leading a tour was nerve-wracking at first, Brown said the experience quickly became one of her favorite parts of the program. “I was a little nervous to give my first tour, but also excited to show guests the objects I had been researching,” she said. “My favorite part is hearing the questions that people ask. It’s so interesting to hear what part of an object sparks someone’s interest!” She also shared that the program helped her grow in all the right ways. “Research skills are important for working in a museum, and I’ve definitely improved there,” she said. “We also had to decide what information was most important for our tours. It was a challenge, but it helped me learn how to communicate more clearly.” Moreover, the public speaking and communication practice has made her more confident when engaging with guests in a professional setting. Beth Coleman, a printmaking and book arts major who graduated from UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art this past spring, also brought a personal lens to her tour. Coleman focused her tour on abstract paintings by spotlighting Elaine de Kooning’s “Bacchus #81,” Preston Dickinson’s “Cubistic Interior,” Alice Baber’s “Sound of the Red Dance” and Mildred Thompson’s “String Theory IV.” “I chose four abstract works that represented a range of styles, including cubism, abstract expressionism and color field painting,” Coleman said. “Abstract art has always been close to my heart, both in what I create and what I gravitate toward. I also recognized that abstract art can
sometimes feel inaccessible to the general public, so I thought it would be rewarding to offer a bit of context and history to help people connect with it.” Although Coleman still gets a bit nervous right before a tour, she said that leading them has been overwhelmingly positive. “The people I’ve had on my tours have been incredibly respectful, curious and open to learning,” she said. “I’ve learned to center myself before each tour and treat it like a conversation rather than a performance. Once I start, the excitement and joy of sharing what I love about art always takes over.” The experience has helped Coleman sharpen both her public speaking and research abilities. “The process of preparing for each tour — digging into the history, context and techniques of each artwork — has strengthened my ability to research thoughtfully and synthesize information in a way that’s both engaging and informative. It’s been a great blend of intellectual and interpersonal development,” she said. Because of the tours, student guides reported feeling more connected to the museum and were more likely to see it as an academic resource. One guide even said the program gave them a sense of community they hadn’t found elsewhere at UGA. The student guide program is more than just a leadership opportunity — it’s a new way for students to tell stories, bring art to life and invite others to see the museum from a fresh perspective.
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