#Middlebury #Seniors #Museum
A local art museum, lacking many patrons because people are still avoiding crowds due to COVID, came up with a great idea: open the place to seniors. Those of us who’ve been locked down for too long, turning up our noses at proposed activities at the senior center, thought this was a swell idea.
We did, however, decline the offer of a van. Instead, we all drove in our individual vehicles to avoid being breathed on by others.
The museum was … lovely. The staff was so excited to have real and actual patrons that they pulled out all the stops for us. Young docents-in-training hovered, but not too closely, as we spread out in the large, high-ceilinged rooms clutching our brochures. Spend more than 10 seconds in front of a display of Mediterranean antiquities, and a docent would appear, many steps away, to tell us about the artifacts. Squint at the detail of a Winslow Homer painting, and there would be a docent offering a magnifying glass and talking about brush work. Look at the artistry of the Native American baskets and wonder how they got all those varied colors, and a docent would know.
It didn’t hurt our feelings at all to be told later that these docents-in-training were students at a local art school and would get extra credit for their participation. They did a fine job.
The senior center staff did too, surprising us with a bagged lunch on the museum grounds after our visit. There were enough picnic benches for us to spread out in the sunshine, and a male spouse was commandeered to tote around a cooler of iced drinks to hand out, along with a wide variety of chips for us to trade like school children.
It’s a good thing I had my checkbook in my purse. Before I left, I purchased a membership as a Friend of the Museum. I’ll be back.
© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
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