Many parents on the Peninsula are familiar with Art At Your Fingertips (AAYF) but may not know how it is organized or why they might want to get involved as a volunteer docent. AAYF was started in 1976 by Palos Verdes Art Center (PVAC) volunteers at a time when Proposition 13 had caused budget cuts for many programs in California schools, including art education funds. For over 45 years PVAC has enriched the community with this school based-outreach program which brings arts education to elementary school classrooms. PVAC Community Engagement Director, Gail Phinney, explained that the program would not be possible without the “army of volunteers” for which she is enormously grateful. Each year, volunteer docents attend five on-site workshops at the Art Center where the artist that developed the selected project teaches the docent volunteers, who in turn teach the students the project at their individual schools. The workshops teach the methodology for the project as well as the historical and cultural context for each project. In addition to overseeing the program, Gail was a docent for 15 years and served as AAYF President in 2010-2011 recalling as a parent she “grew with the program, learning about art, and growing in knowledge” adding, “the program has my heart as a parent, you are not just there for your child, you are there for all the children.” She fondly recalls that she had “rock star” status when she would arrive at school to teach, the kids were all excited to do art.
2023-2024 AAYF President, Dara Adams, shared that she grew up attending the Palos Verdes Peninsula School District and her mother was a docent in the 1980’s, she has great memories of her mom teaching projects at Rancho Vista Elementary. When her sons started at Dapplegray, she wanted them to have the same experience which is why she first volunteered. Before becoming President this year, Dara had served for six years as a docent and two years as the Program Design Chair which involves organizing art project submissions by local artists, and most importantly helping to ensure a diverse array of different kinds of projects with different styles and mediums trying to expose students and find what gets them excited. This year students will have the opportunity to create 3-D moving sculptures, explore color, create Georgia O’Keeffe inspired flowers, work with clay while learning about repetition, and find out how mathematical properties behind linear perspective create the illusion of depth. Dara wants AAYF to excite every kid and to expose students to many different types of art mediums to see what gets them excited, “I love when a project catches fire for a kid and sparks something!”
PV Magazine was invited to attend an AAYF workshop for the first project of the 2023-2024 school year.
The project, “Art In Motion”, was created by local artist Betsy Delurgio and was inspired by the work of Alexander Calder. All the supplies for the project and a detailed lesson plan put together by the program in conjunction with the artist are provided to the docents at the workshop. The handout explains that Calder was the inventor of the mobile who “changed the nature of sculpture with movement.” During the workshop a brief overview of the artists is presented and then step-by-step the presenting artist teaches the project to the docents who do the project themselves during the workshop. All the instructions are provided, and additional resources are available to docents on the PVAC website. All AAYF projects incorporate the state visual and performing arts standards. This project offers some wonderful new vocabulary words and concepts, such as learning about kinetic energy and what a fulcrum is as students put together their own mobile with moving parts. Each AAYF project is accompanied by a reading list from the Palos Verdes Library District with books and resources available at the library that complement the project.
Gail has watched AAYF become a growth opportunity for docent volunteers, having watched many go on to become presenting artists for the program. Others enjoy the camaraderie that grows with other docents over the years as you watch your kids grow up, share stories, and create lasting friendships. Lisa Walstead, a docent at Cornerstone Elementary says about being a docent, “The opportunity to train as a docent for Art at your Fingers tips is one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences we’re offered as parents. It’s a great way to socialize with adults, exercise some creativity, and share the world of art with your child and their classmates. I personally love each student’s interpretation of the subject and how much pride they take in their product!”
You do not need any special background to be a docent, all the materials and training are provided, plus you can enjoy learning and doing the project before you present it to students.
To find out more about Art At Your Fingertips visit: pvartcenter.org/outreach.
